Chapter 515 : Primordial Union Before the Storm

"Very well."

Eldrin Chen paused for a moment, finally processing the implication.

He took Exquisite Jiang's hand, a gentle smile gracing his lips. "For now, the priority is to successfully navigate the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the divine trial of heavenly lightning that tests a cultivator's foundation]. We can discuss this further once you have transcended it."

Hearing his words, a genuine warmth finally returned to Exquisite Jiang's eyes.

In truth, the primary reason they had refrained from dual cultivation [a practice where two cultivators harmonize their energies to accelerate progress] all these years was to preserve her pure Primordial Lunar [the pure, foundational lunar essence within a female cultivator] and his Primordial Solar [the pure, foundational solar essence within a male cultivator]. This reserve was intended as a crucial aid for a critical breakthrough.

Now, having successfully ascended to the Infant Soul [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul is formed] realm, Exquisite Jiang felt their foundations were sufficiently profound. They no longer needed to rely on exchanging their Primordial Lunar and Primordial Solar Power [the complementary foundational energies of yin and yang] merely to break through a bottleneck. Instead, dual cultivation could be used to mutually enhance their cultivation bases.

It was foreseeable that, given their current cultivation levels, receiving each other's Primordial Lunar and Primordial Solar Power would lead to a monumental surge in their spiritual power.

She said no more, offering a serene smile as she stepped out of the Seclusion Chamber.

Lifting her gaze, she beheld the roiling Tribulation Cloud [the ominous, energy-charged clouds that herald a heavenly tribulation] gathering beyond the heavens. The Infant Soul Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the specific heavenly lightning trial for advancing to the Infant Soul realm] had been brewing for some time.

"Take care." Discover more cultivation stories at audio-novel .c om.

Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow, unable to hold back a word of caution.

Exquisite Jiang gave a slight nod, then stepped forward onto the void above to begin her Infant Soul Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the heavenly trial to ascend to the Infant Soul Realm].

Just like Eldrin Chen's Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the trial of heavenly lightning], hers was also the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the most formidable nine-layered heavenly lightning trial]. However, she possessed several Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [magical treasures bound to one's life force], so overcoming this Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Tribulation was not an insurmountable challenge.

It did not take long before Exquisite Jiang successfully weathered the Nine Heavens Heavenly Thunder Tribulation and descended from the sky.

"Congratulations, congratulations!"

Amidst the chorus of well-wishes, Eldrin Chen and his wife, their faces radiant with joy, hosted a grand Infant Soul Banquet [a celebratory feast for reaching the Infant Soul Realm].

The festivities lasted for seven days. The couple personally entertained several True Lord [a title for cultivators at the True Lord realm], including Violet Consort Yan, before the banquet gradually drew to a close.

After the guests had departed, the pair returned to their Spirit Spring Cave Abode [a cave dwelling nourished by a spiritual spring].

Eldrin Chen sealed the entrance to the cave abode, and only then did he and Exquisite Jiang turn to look at each other.

Exquisite Jiang possessed a figure of breathtaking grace and allure—her slender waist, her long legs, her peerless features and form were rarities even in the Mortal Realm [the world of ordinary humans]. To call her beauty transcendent, like that of an immortal, was no exaggeration.

Faced with such a peerless beauty from the Mortal Realm, he could not help but feel his mouth go dry and his heart begin to race.

"Hehe—"

At first, Exquisite Jiang's breathing also grew somewhat rapid, her expression rather tense. Yet, upon seeing his flustered state, she suddenly let out a soft, tinkling laugh.

She grabbed Eldrin Chen by the arm, pushed him down onto the bed, and leaned over him, declaring, "My little man, I've craved you for four hundred years. Let's see where you run to today."

Eldrin Chen: "…"

Without a word, he seized her slender, willowy waist and flipped their positions, pinning her beneath him.

Immediately, a surge of pure Primordial Yin energy [the foundational feminine essence vital to cultivation] flooded into him. It rapidly consolidated his recently broken-through cultivation base and began to propel it upward at a startling pace.

In mere moments, he felt his spiritual power [the energy cultivated and wielded by practitioners] swell dramatically, bringing him to the very threshold of the Second Layer of Infant Soul.

"Such pure Primordial Yin energy."

Eldrin Chen drew a sharp breath, nearly losing his composure entirely.

He swiftly gathered his focus and, gazing upon the breathtaking figure before him, lowered his head to press a kiss upon her lips.

"..."

Eldrin Chen opened his eyes. Looking at the peerless beauty slumbering peacefully in his embrace, a tender expression of affection and pity involuntarily surfaced on his face.

Both were high-level cultivators with extraordinary constitutions, their vitality and stamina far surpassing the imagination of ordinary mortals. Having accumulated centuries of chaste desire, once unleashed, it proved somewhat difficult to rein in.

This time, they had carried on incessantly for over a month, only ceasing yesterday when they finally felt utterly exhausted.

When Eldrin Chen finally gathered his spirit back from the throes of passion, he discovered his cultivation had not only been consolidated through the dual cultivation but had also broken through in one fell swoop to the Infant Soul 2nd Tier. Discover more cultivation stories at audio–novel.com.

This was truly astonishing. After reaching the Infant Soul Realm, the resources required for each breakthrough become staggeringly vast. Typically, an ordinary True Lord would need three hundred years to advance a single layer in cultivation.

For a cultivator like Eldrin Chen, who possessed five Lifebound Magical Treasure, it would normally require ten Sixty-Year Cycle to break through a single layer.

This dual cultivation session had saved them a full six hundred years of arduous solitary cultivation, a testament to its remarkably potent effects.

However, this was due to it being their first union, where they exchanged their respective Primal Yin [the foundational feminine essence of a cultivator] and Primal Yang [the foundational masculine essence of a cultivator]. Future dual cultivation sessions would not yield such rapid progress.

As Eldrin Chen was lost in thought, Exquisite Jiang stirred awake. She glanced at him, a smile playing on her lips as she asked, "What occupies your mind so deeply?"

"I was contemplating matters of cultivation,"

Eldrin Chen replied, then continued, "Since our breakthrough into the True Lord Realm [the realm of a True Lord cultivator], the resources required for our advancement have increased by more than tenfold. To accelerate our progress will demand a significant expenditure of resources."

"Do not fret," Exquisite Jiang said with a light laugh. "The Spiritual Peach Tree [a mystical tree bearing spiritually potent peaches] at Spirit Isle Lake is on the verge of its own ascension. Once it completes its advancement, the issue of our cultivation resources will be largely resolved."

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen gave a nod. At the mention of the Spiritual Peach Tree, a flicker of coldness passed through his eyes. "Frostriver Path Master [a cultivator known as the Master of the Frost River Path] seized the Spirit Apricot Tree [a mystical tree bearing spiritually potent apricots]. It is time we settled this Karma [the cosmic principle of cause and effect, action and consequence]."

"And with the Qin Clan as well. It is time for a final reckoning."

"Indeed."

Exquisite Jiang nodded and began to rise to dress, but suddenly drew in a sharp breath.

She shot a reproachful look at Eldrin Chen and rolled her eyes. "Must you be so... vigorous?"

Eldrin Chen merely offered a faint smile, a rare moment of levity as he teased, "Someone has been claiming for four hundred years how much they've longed for me, yet it seems the reality is rather... lacking in stamina."

"You…"

After cultivating and recuperating for several more days, Eldrin Chen finally emerged from his Seclusion Chamber.

Once outside, he sought out the Old Patriarch and inquired directly, "What is the current situation with Frostriver Path Master and the Qin Clan?"

Eternal Profound Chen handed a letter to Eldrin Chen and replied, "Frostriver Path Master is far away in the Vast Sea; we have no way of tracking his movements."

"However, the Qin Clan has kept a very low profile in recent years. Neither of their two True Lord [powerful cultivators at the True Lord realm] has left their Clan Path-Field [the clan's primary cultivation grounds and territory]."

"You have worked hard, Granduncle." Eldrin Chen nodded after reading the letter, then continued, "I intend to settle our old Karma [the metaphysical cause-and-effect of past actions] with the Qin Clan through a decisive confrontation."

"But sharpening the axe does not delay the chopping of wood. I wonder if the Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements] the clan has accumulated over the years is sufficient to upgrade a few more Medium-Grade Spiritual Treasure [enchanted artifacts of medium power]?"

Clearly prepared for this question, Eternal Profound Chen produced a ledger and handed it to Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen opened it and saw it was the ledger for the clan's Clan Treasury. Among the major resources within the Chen Clan Treasury, the most significant bulk commodity was indeed the Five Elements Essence.

In the years since Eldrin Chen departed for the Eastern Sea Cultivation World, the Chen Clan has not only produced its own annual supply of Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements], but has also allocated a million Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] each year to continuously purchase more of this essence across the entire Ji Continent.

The annual expenditure on acquiring Five Elements Essence has become the clan's single greatest financial outlay, nearly matching the sum total of all stipends paid to its cultivators.

Now, after the passage of one full Sixty-Year Cycle, the Five Elements Essence stockpiled by the Chen Clan is valued at fifty million Spirit Stones. This vast hoard is sufficient to forge five Lifebound Spiritual Treasures [a cultivator's personally bonded enchanted artifact] or to elevate two Medium-Grade Spiritual Treasures [a powerful enchanted artifact] to a higher grade, with resources to spare. Find thousands of chapters at audio~novel.com.