Chapter 539 : The Golden Lotus Alchemy

After bidding farewell to Solon, Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang set off towards Ji Continent.

Along the way, Lyra Jiang gazed at the Primordial Golden Lotus and remarked, "Although this Primordial Golden Lotus is not a Heaven and Earth Spiritual Root, it is a nearly priceless Fifth Rank Treasure.

"If the Primordial Golden Lotus Seed could be refined into the Golden Lotus Demon-Subduing Pill, it could even help Elara and the others transcend their Nascent Soul Heart Demon Tribulation. It's a pity we only have enough materials for a single cauldron's batch; who knows how many pills we will ultimately succeed in forging."

Recalling how Solon had refined two batches—one yielding only a single pill and the other failing completely—Eldrin Chen could not help but feel a weight of pressure.

Yet, after reviewing the pill formula for the Golden Lotus Demon-Subduing Pill, he shook his head and said, "Logically, the difficulty of refining the Golden Lotus Demon-Subduing Pill is only at the Fifth Rank Low Grade level. We already had some confidence in crafting it even before our Nascent Soul breakthrough.

"Now that we have ascended to the Nascent Soul realm, with our Mana and Spiritual Sense having surged dramatically, we should not fail in refining this Golden Lotus Demon-Subduing Pill."

"That is true."

Lyra Jiang pondered for a moment, finding Eldrin Chen's reasoning sound, and thus said no more on the matter.

She then turned her gaze back to the Primordial Golden Lotus and said with a smile, "If the Lotus Seedpod of this Primordial Golden Lotus is fused into the Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform, it would be sufficient to advance the Flood Water Scripture Lotus Platform.

"Moreover, this Lotus Platform is profoundly mystical. After its advancement, it might cause the Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform to undergo a beneficial mutation, granting it the wondrous ability to suppress inner demons and aid cultivators in transcending the Heart Demon Tribulation. Perhaps it could, to some extent, serve as a substitute for the Golden Lotus Demon-Subduing Pill." The story continues at audio~novel.com.

Eldrin Chen nodded, a flicker of delight in his eyes. "The clan's reserves of Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements] are insufficient for advancing our Spiritual Treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators]. The Qingluan Continent [the Azure Simurgh Continent] has a plentiful supply. Perhaps we should procure some Five Elements Essence along our way."

"A most prudent course of action," Lyra Jiang agreed.

Their spirits were buoyed by the unexpected acquisition of the Primordial Golden Lotus [a legendary spiritual plant of immense purity and power].

Upon arriving at the Qingluan Continent, they proceeded directly to the Feathered Pavilion [a major trading and intelligence organization] to purchase the Five Elements Essence.

The Qingluan Continent had enjoyed peace for many years, its population of cultivators far exceeding that of the Ji Continent [the Ji Continent]. Consequently, its stockpiles of Five Elements Essence were substantial, and prices were somewhat lower.

Thus, even purchasing through the Feathered Pavilion as an intermediary, the cost was not exorbitant.

The pair pooled over sixty million Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation], converting the entire sum into Five Elements Essence before teleporting back to the Ji Continent.

After reaching Spirit Isle Lake [the Spirit Isle Lake], they immediately set about advancing their Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a spiritual treasure bound to a cultivator's life force and soul]. The task consumed them for Three Years Later [a period of three years], culminating in the successful advancement of the final treasure.

With both Spiritual Treasure successfully elevated, they observed distinct changes in each artifact.

Eldrin Chen's Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform [a lotus-shaped platform treasure infused with the power of Flood Water] had been refined by integrating the Creation Azure Jade Lotus [the Creation Azure Jade Lotus, a supreme spiritual plant] into its core.

After its advancement, this Spiritual Treasure [an enchanted artifact of great power] could now store three times the Mana [the spiritual energy used to cast spells and techniques], and it also contained a wisp of primordial Creation Power [the fundamental force of genesis and transformation], capable of nourishing both his Nascent Soul [the spiritual core formed after the Golden Core stage] and his physical body.

The treasure's defensive capabilities had also increased; it could now manifest an Azure Lotus Aegis [a protective barrier shaped like an azure lotus] for protection. Given its grade as a Middle-Grade Spiritual Treasure [a high-tier enchanted artifact], it could withstand three full-force assaults from a Nascent Soul, Mid Stage [a cultivator in the middle phase of the Nascent Soul realm].

Lyra Jiang's treasure was somewhat different. Her Lotus Platform [a meditation platform, often a magical treasure] had fused with a Primordial Golden Lotus [a legendary lotus containing ancient, pure essence]. This treasure harbored Primordial Essence Power [the foundational energy of creation itself] and possessed a subtle, wondrous efficacy for subduing inner demons.

Once refined, the Lotus Platform had transformed into a golden hue, fully unlocking its demon-subduing properties. It could now assist a cultivator in traversing the perils of the Heart Demon Tribulation [a tribulation where one's inner demons and doubts manifest].

Furthermore, while Lyra Jiang's Lotus Platform lacked the Protective Aegis [a defensive energy shield] of Eldrin Chen's, it held the marvelous ability to guard the spirit soul. It could deflect attacks from Demonic Path [practitioners who use sinister, often soul-corrupting methods] curse techniques and Divine Ability [powerful supernatural techniques], making it difficult for Demonic Monsters [malevolent beings born of demonic energy] to scheme against her.

However, although Lyra Jiang's golden Lotus Platform was extraordinarily divine, it could only store a single measure of Mana. In this aspect, it fell short of Eldrin Chen's Lotus Platform by a full two measures.

After sharing the wondrous functions of their respective Lotus Platform, Lyra Jiang spoke. "Now that my Spiritual Treasure has advanced, calling it the Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform no longer seems fitting. Perhaps it should be renamed the Primordial Golden Lotus Throne."

"A fair point," Eldrin Chen replied with a light smile. "Then mine shall be renamed the Creation Azure Lotus Platform."

Contemplating the golden Lotus Platform's unique virtues, Eldrin Chen added, "My azure Lotus Platform can enhance cultivation and provides a protective aegis. Henceforth, my means of defense shall be bolstered."

"Yet, compared to the Primordial Golden Lotus Throne's efficacy in subduing inner demons and guarding the spirit soul, mine pales somewhat," he concluded.

Lyra Jiang [the Immortal Maiden Lyra] remained quite composed, yet she added, "Although my Primordial Golden Lotus Throne [a throne formed from a primordial golden lotus, possessing profound spiritual properties] has gained a measure of divine peculiarity, transforming into a Special Spiritual Treasure [a unique and powerful enchanted artifact], the Mana [the spiritual energy cultivated and wielded by practitioners] it can store does not compare to your Creation Azure Lotus Platform [a mystical platform formed from a creation-grade azure lotus]. This is the principle of gain and loss."

Eldrin Chen [the cultivator Eldrin of the Chen Clan] nodded, then produced the Primordial Golden Lotus Seed [the seed of a primordial golden lotus, a treasure of immense spiritual potential]. "Let us open the furnace and refine it together," he said, "to see if we can advance our Alchemy [the art of crafting spiritual pills and elixirs]."

Both possessed exceptional talent. Even before their breakthrough into the Nascent Soul [the realm where a cultivator's spirit forms an independent nascent soul], they had successfully crafted the Fifth Rank Essence Restoration Pill [a high-grade pill that restores a cultivator's vital essence]. Now, having ascended, their Mana [cultivated spiritual energy] and spiritual souls far surpassed their former selves, granting them significant confidence in refining Fifth Rank Pill [pills of the fifth rank, suitable for high-level cultivators].

Now, with two Fifth Rank Alchemist [master alchemists capable of crafting fifth-rank pills] working in concert to co-refine the Golden Lotus Demon-Subduing Pill [a powerful pill forged from golden lotus essence, used to subdue demonic influences], the process consumed a full half-year before this single batch of Pill [spiritual pill] was finally brought to successful completion.

Given Solon [the cultivator known as Solon]'s two prior failures, Eldrin Chen [Eldrin] had anticipated considerable difficulty in refining the Golden Lotus Demon-Subduing Pill. Yet, contrary to all expectations, this single furnace yielded three pills.

After the successful refinement, he pondered deeply for a long while before finally shaking his head with a wry laugh. "Of course," he murmured to himself. "With my state of Heaven and Man Resonance [a profound state of unity between the cultivator and the natural world, enhancing comprehension] and a foundation of Great Luo Nascent Soul [a supreme-grade nascent soul, representing an exceptional cultivation foundation], my comprehension should rightly be on par with that of a Nascent Soul Dao Lord [a cultivator who has reached the pinnacle of the Nascent Soul realm and comprehended profound Dao principles]." The story continues at audi0-n0vel.c0m.

"To compare it with an ordinary Nascent Soul True Lord [a cultivator who has solidified their position within the Nascent Soul realm] is, indeed, rather unfair."

Having reached this understanding, a genuine smile finally graced Eldrin Chen's features.

Heaven and Man Resonance is a state akin to perpetual enlightenment. The reason Nascent Soul Dao Lord can comprehend various arcane forces and even pioneer Supreme Pure Yang Divine Ability [divine abilities of the highest pure yang grade] is precisely due to the empowerment of this supreme state.

Heaven and man united as one, the nascent soul perceives the workings of heaven and earth in a near-constant flow. Cultivating Divine Ability [supernatural powers and techniques] or any of the Hundred Arts thus advances with the speed of a thousand Li-lengths in a single day.

It would take a cultivator several centuries to master a Great Divine Ability to the Great Vehicle level, yet a Nascent Soul Dao Lord could achieve the same profound comprehension in merely a few decades. The disparity between them was not merely tenfold.

With Eldrin Chen's current level of enlightenment, it likely would not take long for him to elevate his mastery of the Hundred Arts of Cultivation to the Fifth Rank High Grade tier.

Contemplating the profound mysteries of Heaven and Man Resonance [a state of profound attunement between a cultivator and the natural order], Eldrin Chen settled his mind and heart, immersing himself in dedicated cultivation.

In the days that followed, he divided his time between cultivation, deducing cultivation arts, and, in his leisure, researching pill formulas.

After several years, Eldrin Chen deduced an entirely new Fifth Rank Pill Formula based on the properties of the Fifth Rank Spirit Peach.

This pill was named the Immortal Peach Pill. It was of the Fifth Rank Low Grade tier, and upon consumption, it greatly nourished one's Nascent Soul Qi [the refined spiritual energy of the Nascent Soul realm], capable of enhancing the cultivation base of a Nascent Soul Cultivators.

Eldrin Chen tested it and found that a Nascent Soul Cultivators consuming this pill could increase their Mana [the spiritual power cultivated by a practitioner] by thirty years' worth. However, one could only take a single pill every thirty years. With long-term use, it could effectively double one's cultivation speed.

While this could not compare to the Nascent Soul Spirit Peach's ability to triple cultivation speed, its effect was still considered remarkable.

The yield of Spirit Peach was limited. A Fifth Rank Low Grade Spirit Peach Tree bore only nine fruits every century. After Eldrin Chen and his wife each took three, only three remained, sufficient to support the cultivation of a single Nascent Soul True Lord.

These three Spirit Peach could increase cultivation by three hundred years. When combined with three thousand supplementary herbs, they could be refined into three furnaces of Treasure Pill. Original publication: audio-novel`com - The source of this chapter.