Chapter 548 : A Favor Forged in Jade and Lotus

With this thought, Eldrin Chen spoke, "With just a single Nascent Soul Formation Pill, Spirit Consort's chances of a breakthrough would indeed be slim. Very well, I shall gift you one Creation Verdant Lotus Seed as well. Perhaps it can increase her odds of success by a few degrees."

As he spoke, Eldrin Chen handed both the Creation Verdant Lotus Seed and the Nascent Soul Formation Pill to Violet Consort Yan.

Violet Consort Yan glanced at them and took out thirty Heavenly Crystal [a purified, high-density form of Spirit Stone used by high-level cultivators]. "I should purchase them at their full price, but alas, I too have only recently broken through to the Infant Soul [the Nascent Soul stage] realm and my reserves of Heavenly Crystal are still insufficient. Consider this a personal favor I owe you."

"There is no need for that," Exquisite Jiang smiled gently before continuing. "Although the Creation Verdant Lotus Seed is indeed precious, given the friendship we have shared over these years, such formalities are unnecessary."

Eldrin Chen also chuckled. "When selling such treasures to one of our own, we naturally use the internal price. Surely you wouldn't charge me the external market rate if I were to purchase Gold Vein Spirit Jade [a rare type of Spirit Jade formed within golden earth veins] from your territory in the future?"

The Violet Consort Mountain that Violet Consort Yan now occupied was once part of the domain of the Golden Rhino Demon Emperor, possessing a Golden Origin Earth Vein [a powerful spiritual earth vein rich in metallic energy].

Mention of the Gold Vein Spirit Jade caused Violet Consort Yan to pause thoughtfully. "Some time ago," she said after a moment, "I received word that the Golden Rhino Demon Emperor has joined Violet Jade Lake. You should be cautious from now on."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly. The Violet Jade Lake was a Demon Emperor [a ruler among demonic beings] territory located to the northwest of the Vast Sea.

That Violet Jade Lake was ruled by a Violet Jade Heavenly Python, a creature whose cultivation had reached the Infant Soul Late Stage [the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm]. It was a notably powerful Demon Emperor even within the Vast and Misty Marsh.

Years ago, the two of them had slain a Female Demon Emperor of the Golden Rhino Bloodline. Now that the Golden Rhino Demon Emperor had found a powerful backer in Violet Jade Lake, it was likely he would seek revenge in the future. Discover more cultivation stories at audio-novel dot com.

With this thought in mind, Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before speaking. "Thank you for the warning. However, the Ji Clan still resides within the Ji Continent. Presumably, the forces of Violet Jade Lake would not dare act recklessly for the time being."

"That is true," Violet Consort Yan nodded, then rose to her feet. "I must return to assist my sister, Spirit Consort, in her breakthrough to the Infant Soul realm. I shall not linger any longer this time."

Eldrin Chen also stood, offering a warm smile. "Then we shall wish Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort a successful and decisive breakthrough into the Infant Soul realm."

"..."

Time flowed like a swift river, and in the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

On this day, as Eldrin Chen was cultivating within his cave abode alongside Exquisite Jiang, a Communication Talisman [a magical slip of paper used for sending messages] suddenly flew in. He caught it, and upon reading its contents, a pensive expression settled upon his features.

Exquisite Jiang looked up, a flicker of curiosity in her eyes. "What is it?"

"Patriarch Mo-ink of the Qi Nation has sent this Communication Talisman," Eldrin Chen replied. "He wishes to trade for a Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a legendary elixir that aids in forming the Nascent Soul, a crucial step in high-level cultivation]."

Eldrin Chen shook his head slightly. In recent times, many cultivators had sought to purchase a Nascent Soul Formation Pill from him. The root cause was the news of Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort's successful breakthrough.

Merely a year after Violet Consort Yan's departure, the joyous tidings had arrived.

Having simultaneously obtained both a Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a supreme elixir that aids in the breakthrough to the Infant Soul Realm] and a Creation Verdant Lotus Seed [a legendary spiritual seed that nurtures the cultivator's foundation], Violet Consort Yan resolved to spare no effort in supporting Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort.

Rumor had it that Violet Consort Yan exhausted the wealth accumulated over centuries to purchase a Positive Water Immortal Pear [a spiritual fruit of pure yang water essence] from the Heaven's Profound Sect. Combined with the Nascent Soul Formation Pill and the Creation Verdant Lotus Seed, these treasures boosted Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort's chances of breaking through to the Infant Soul [the realm where one's nascent soul is fully formed] by a full fifty percent.

This time, Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort did not disappoint her, successfully breaking through to the Infant Soul Realm and forging a Mortal Path Infant Soul [a foundational type of nascent soul, representing a solid start on the path of cultivation].

After her breakthrough, many sought to uncover the origin of the Nascent Soul Formation Pill. It was soon discovered that the Chen Clan had successfully refined an entire cauldron of these precious pills.

Consequently, numerous Golden Core Immortal Clan [powerful clans with Golden Core Patriarchs as their foundation], including those from Vast Sea and Ji Continent, came knocking, hoping to purchase a Nascent Soul Formation Pill.

However, the Nascent Soul Formation Pill was a supreme treasure for achieving the Infant Soul realm. The Chen Clan itself possessed only four remaining pills and was naturally unwilling to part with them lightly, thus rejecting all requests.

Yet, the letter now sent by Patriarch Mo-ink gave Eldrin Chen pause. After all, Patriarch Mo-ink held a personal debt of gratitude from Ethan Chen.

"Very well," Eldrin Chen murmured. "Let us first see if he can offer a sufficient price."

With these words, Eldrin Chen stored the spirit talisman away.

Witnessing this, Exquisite Jiang smiled, her eyes glinting like silk threads in the moonlight. "What is the hurry? Our daily cultivation regimen is not yet complete."

As her words fell, she lowered her head once more.

"Hiss—"

"You enchantress."

Eldrin Chen drew a sharp breath, steadied himself by holding her long hair, and resumed his cultivation.

"…"

After their cultivation session reached its zenith, Eldrin Chen left the utterly spent Exquisite Jiang behind. He emerged from the cavern abode feeling refreshed in spirit and clear in mind. Support the author by reading on audio . novel . com.

In the main hall, he encountered Patriarch Mo-ink, who promptly offered a respectful salute upon seeing Eldrin Chen. "Greetings, Senior True Lord," the Patriarch said.

"Between us, such formalities are unnecessary."

Eldrin Chen helped him rise, then spoke with a gentle smile. "With the foundation of your Earthly Path Infant Soul [a profound cultivation art focused on grounding one's spirit in earthly energies], you should have a sixty percent chance of forging your Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual core of a high-level cultivator] even without a Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a legendary elixir that dramatically increases the success rate of forming one's Infant Soul]. Why the urgency to procure one?"

"A sixty percent chance still feels insufficient. I fear that failure would squander a precious opportunity for life extension."

Patriarch Mo-ink shook his head and spoke with a tone of resignation.

Eldrin Chen nodded in understanding. Upon careful calculation, Patriarch Mo-ink was now a full nine hundred years old and had already consumed one Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a legendary pill that aids in forming the Nascent Soul, the core of an Infant Soul cultivator's power].

Opportunities to extend one's lifespan are precious. Using one more in the Golden Core Realm [the stage where a cultivator's power condenses into a solid Golden Core] meant having one less chance to gain a millennium of life after a future breakthrough to the Infant Soul [the stage where the cultivator's spirit forms a nascent, independent entity].

Patriarch Mo-ink was worried that if he failed, he would not only waste a precious life-extending opportunity but would still need to procure another Nascent Soul Formation Pill later.

Furthermore, with the next Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a periodic, cataclysmic eruption of demonic energy from a great abyss] only three hundred years away, breaking through to the Infant Soul one day earlier meant one more day of potential to refine a Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a magical artifact forged with a cultivator's life essence, growing in power alongside them].

Without a Lifebound Spiritual Treasure in hand, achieving the Infant Soul Realm would instead make one a prime target in the eyes of the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [powerful demons from realms beyond this world].

After all, the Infant Soul of an Infant Soul True Lord [an honorary title for a powerful cultivator at the Infant Soul stage] was a truly potent nourishment for Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use demonic or unorthodox methods]. Possessing Infant Soul cultivation but lacking in combat prowess would drastically increase the likelihood of a tragic fall.

Considering this, Eldrin Chen spoke up, "I do indeed possess a Nascent Soul Formation Pill. However, such a pill is extraordinarily precious. Over twenty Golden Core Cultivator within my Chen Immortal Clan are eagerly awaiting their chance."

"If you do not have a treasure of equivalent value, I cannot exchange it with you."

"I understand," Patriarch Mo-ink nodded, then handed a wooden box to Eldrin Chen. "Speaking of this item, it was something I discovered alongside Thalion Chen all those years ago."

"Now, after its long journey, it has fallen into the hands of Thalion Chen's descendants. Truly, the workings of Creation [the fundamental force that shapes reality] are inscrutable."

Eldrin Chen fell silent for a moment upon hearing this. In this world, treasures belong to the strong.

In the past, when Thalion Chen and Patriarch Mo-ink had vied for this treasure and failed, retreating in defeat to Chu Nation, there was no one else to blame.

The Karma [the spiritual cause and effect governing actions and consequences] of those bygone days had long been settled. Eldrin Chen had no desire to reopen old wounds. He simply opened the Treasure Box to look inside, and his brow furrowed slightly.

"So it's this object…"

Within the Treasure Box lay a stone slab, three Chi-lengths [one Chi-length equals one third of a meter] long. It emitted a faint, gentle radiance, and intricate patterns of Stellar [relating to the stars and celestial bodies] Dao patterns [the fundamental principles of the universe] flowed within it, bringing an immediate sense of profound tranquility to the mind.

Eldrin Chen recognized this object. It was known as the Stellar Sky Enlightenment Stone [a stone that aids in comprehending the Dao through stellar resonance], a Fifth Rank Treasure [a high-grade magical artifact] that assisted cultivators in achieving enlightenment.

The Stellar Sky Enlightenment Stone not only aided in comprehending the Dao, but it could also suppress Inner Demon [the personal demons and mental tribulations born from a cultivator's own heart] and purify the spirit. Furthermore, it could enhance one's cultivation speed.

The very reason Patriarch Mo-ink had been able to rise to prominence over these years was precisely because of this Stellar Sky Enlightenment Stone. Visit audi0-n0vel.c0m to enjoy the complete series.