Chapter 505 : The Nascent Soul Tribulation

"Since the Qin Clan has entangled itself with Alaric the Daoist, we can deal with them all at once."

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

Lyra Jiang's eyes also sharpened, yet after a moment of contemplation, she said, "By my reckoning, the time for the Heaven and Earth Resonance [a rare celestial alignment that amplifies spiritual energies] will arrive in another thirty years."

"Once we have both broken through to the Nascent Soul [the stage where a cultivator's spirit forms an independent infant-like entity] realm, it will not be too late to settle accounts with them."

"I understand that well."

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

At this moment, with their breakthrough to Nascent Soul imminent, their enemies would naturally be filled with immense dread, desperate to strangle their ascent at any cost.

That Qin Clan, wary of the power of the Green Abyss Sword, dared not strike at them directly within the Ji Continent, but had most likely already woven a Heaven's Net [a formation designed to trap and ensnare] across The Vast Sea.

Eldrin Chen was utterly clear-headed. He spoke with serene composure, "Legends say that those ancient cultivators with the potential to ascend to immortality would inevitably attract a Human Tribulation [a trial of fate involving mortal conflicts and calamities] upon their breakthrough to Nascent Soul."

"It seems today that Alaric the Daoist and the Qin Clan may well be part of the tribulation destined for our own ascent to Nascent Soul." Read the full novel exclusively on *audio-novel.com*.

Understanding this, Eldrin Chen knew with perfect clarity what he must do.

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

His expression grave, he began without preamble, "The Heaven and Earth Resonance, which occurs but once every Millennium, draws near. The day Lyra and I attempt our breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm is likely imminent."

"To avoid unforeseen complications, none of you are to venture beyond the borders of the Ji Continent during this time. Do not undertake distant journeys or pilgrimages."

Though joy flickered in their eyes at the news, the assembled elders understood the gravity of the situation and nodded in solemn agreement.

After the Golden Core Cultivators had withdrawn, the Old Patriarch remained behind to brief Eldrin Chen on the Chen Clan's affairs during his decades of absence.

Eldrin Chen had been away from the Eastern Wastelands for several decades. In that time, as the Chen Clan steadily developed those lands, the clan's resource holdings had grown exponentially.

These years had seen a flourishing of talent within the clan, with new Purple Mansion and Golden Core cultivators emerging continuously. The most pivotal development, however, was that Ethan Chen had finally unraveled the mystery of life and death, succeeding in forging a Superior Golden Core.

Upon closer reckoning, Ethan Chen had been stalled at the Purple Mansion Ninth Layer for two full Jiazi-time [a cycle of sixty years]. Achieving a Superior Golden Core at the venerable age of over three hundred and eighty years was a testament to extraordinary perseverance.

"Fortunately, Ethan has now pierced that veil of mystery and even forged his own cultivation art. His cultivation speed from this point onward will increase dramatically."

"With our full support, the path ahead holds great promise."

Thalion Chen smiled, stroking his beard, his face and heart filled with a touch of excitement.

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

He looked at 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 Great Perfection realm before me."

"A short while ago, I simply felt my cultivation cycle reach completion, my Mana [the spiritual energy cultivated and wielded by practitioners] perfectly harmonious and flawless. Only then did I realize I had attained the state of Golden Core Great Perfection."

Eldrin Chen nodded, then inquired, "Since you have already cultivated to Golden Core Great Perfection, breaking through to Nascent Soul should not be delayed. I still possess two Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a supreme elixir that aids in the formation of the Nascent Soul]. Please, take one for your use, Uncle."

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

Thalion Chen shook his head, declining repeatedly, "Even if I took this pill, I have little confidence in breaking through to Nascent Soul in a single attempt. You and Lyra are on the verge of your own breakthroughs; you should keep it for yourselves."

Eldrin Chen chuckled, speaking with absolute confidence, "With the Deep-Seated Foundation [an exceptionally profound and stable cultivation base] that Lyra and I possess, why would we need such external aids to break through to Nascent Soul?"

"Please take it with peace of mind, Old Granduncle, and ascend to the Nascent Soul realm at the earliest opportunity."

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

Seeing 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 word of caution, "Since you have already forged a Middle Golden Core [the middle stage of the Golden Core cultivation realm], Uncle, you should still strive for the Earthly Dao Nascent Soul [a superior, earth-aligned path to forming a Nascent Soul]."

"For this breakthrough, it is sufficient to reach the False Nascent Soul Realm [a pseudo-Nascent Soul state, less stable than a true one]. Once Lyra and I break through to Nascent Soul [the soul-formation stage of cultivation], we will seek out the Earth Mother Qi [the primordial essence of the earth element] for you. There is no need to rush."

After bidding farewell to the Old Patriarch, Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang returned to Spirit Isle Lake.

In the days that followed, they prepared to garrison themselves at Spirit Isle Lake, standing guard against any further treacherous moves by the Qin Clan or others. Official source: site: audio-novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

However, in the ensuing years, a hidden undercurrent began to surge towards the Chen Immortal Clan. Several years later, Black-Robed Powerhouse [a powerful figure clad in black robes] intercepted a treasure ship belonging to the Chen Clan that was traveling between the various nations of the Ji Continent.

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

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

Eldrin Chen was immediately enraged. He pursued the perpetrators for three hundred thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], only to discover they had already fled the Ji Continent entirely.

After this incident, Eldrin Chen ordered a halt to all Chen Clan treasure ship traffic across the Ji Continent. While the clan's shops in various nations continued to operate, from now on, goods would only be transported via Storage Bag [a spatial artifact capable of holding objects in a pocket dimension] and other spatial treasures through the Teleportation Formation [a magical array that instantaneously transports matter across vast distances].

However, the storage capacity of such spatial equipment is ultimately limited, making large-scale trade difficult and preventing the transport of living creatures like Spirit Goose [a spiritual bird often used as a mount or for its feathers] and Spirit Fish [fish imbued with spiritual energy, valued for their meat and scales]. This resulted in a significant annual loss for the Chen Clan's business ventures.

Nevertheless, with the treasure ships suspended, the situation facing the Chen Immortal Clan finally stabilized in the following years.

Enemies lurking in the shadows found no opportunity to strike and could only watch helplessly as the day of Heaven and Man Resonance [a profound state of cultivation where one's spirit harmonizes with the natural laws of heaven and earth] drew ever nearer.

In the blink of an eye, more than two decades passed.

Early one morning, Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang let out a sigh of relief within the Alchemy Chamber [a specially prepared room for refining pills and elixirs].

Gazing at the two crystalline Treasure Pill [a high-grade, potent elixir] that flew out from the Alchemy Furnace [a magical cauldron used for pill refinement], Lyra Jiang exclaimed with joy, "We succeeded in refining two Fifth Rank Essence Restoration Pill [a powerful elixir that restores a cultivator's spiritual essence and vitality] 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 nodded. Back on Great Roc Island, they had purchased two Essence Restoration Fruit [a rare spiritual fruit that aids in essence recovery] with the intention of refining them into two batches of Recovery Pill [a general term for pills that restore health, energy, or spiritual power].

After returning to the clan, they had continuously tasked the family with procuring the auxiliary herbs for this Recovery Pill. Now, they had finally gathered all the necessary Spirit Medicine [plants imbued with spiritual energy, used as ingredients in alchemy] for the pill's refinement.

Now, with the day of their breakthrough into the Heaven and Earth Resonance [a profound state where one's spirit harmonizes with the natural world] drawing near, and to avoid being left passive and vulnerable due to depleted Mana [the internal spiritual energy used by cultivators], they decided to first refine a batch of Recovery Pill [a pill that rapidly restores a cultivator's spiritual energy].

Now that the Treasure Pill [a general term for high-grade, valuable cultivation pills] had been successfully refined, and the two of them had jointly advanced to the rank of Fifth Rank Alchemist [a master alchemist capable of refining fifth-rank pills], their spirits were naturally soaring.

Eldrin Chen laughed and said, "While the Recovery Pill isn't overly difficult to refine, producing two pills from a single batch clearly shows that both our accumulated alchemical expertise and the precision of our Mana control have long since reached the level of a Fifth Rank [the fifth major tier in the cultivation hierarchy] master."

"Indeed it does."

Without further words, the two of them stepped out from the Seclusion Chamber [a specially prepared chamber for undisturbed cultivation or crafting].

No sooner had they left the Seclusion Chamber than they found the Old Patriarch had been waiting for them for some time.

The moment he saw them, the Old Patriarch spoke, his voice grave. "Three days ago, disaster struck the Ancestral Land [the original homeland and spiritual heart of a clan]. The Ink Mysterious Mountain [the mountain that housed the Chen Clan's ancestral lands]... has been razed to the ground."

"What?!"

Qi Kingdom, Ink Mysterious Mountain.

Ink Mysterious Mountain was the Chen Clan Ancestral Land, the very cradle of their lineage. Though it housed only a single Fourth Rank Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of spiritual energy, ranked by its potency], its status had grown ever more revered as the Chen Immortal Clan [a clan of cultivators] flourished in power and prestige over the years. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio . novel . com.