Chapter 554 : A Prodigy's Humble Audience

"Eldrin Chen pays his respects to the Patriarch."

Eldrin Chen bowed respectfully and, without drawing attention, subtly tugged at the sleeve of Hugo Lu's robe.

Finally catching on, Hugo Lu hurriedly performed a bow of his own and said, "This humble one is Hugo Lu, paying my respects to the Patriarch."

"There is no need for such formality."

The youth holding the sword smiled, a glimmer of spiritual light flickering in his eyes.

He studied Hugo Lu for a moment, his gaze seeming to pierce right through him, before speaking in a gentle tone, "I am Kiran Ye, the first direct disciple under my master's tutelage."

"Come with me."

With that, Kiran Ye led Hugo Lu deeper into the Great Hall.

Only then did Hugo Lu begin to grasp the terrifying presence of the person before him. Kiran Ye appeared to be merely at the Violet Sanctum [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual core within their dantian] realm, yet his aura far surpassed any Violet Sanctum Cultivator [a cultivator who has reached the Violet Sanctum realm] Hugo Lu had ever encountered.

Even the Violet Sanctum Patriarch [the patriarch of a clan or sect who has attained the Violet Sanctum realm] of the Yan Clan, the dominant power of Heaven's Fate County, would likely find the courage to raise a hand against Kiran Ye utterly extinguished. Support the author by reading on audio~novel.com.

"What manner of figure could be the master of such a heaven-defying prodigy?"

Literature Abyss Lu felt a surge of excitement in his heart, yet dared not speak further. He could only suppress his thoughts and follow along.

The two stepped into the Great Hall. There, seated upon the dais, were a man and a woman, a divine couple who seemed like immortals.

Literature Abyss Lu took but a single glance and felt a thunderous roar in his ears. These two figures before him shone with a brilliance akin to Nine Heavens Celestial Immortal Deities, so dazzling it made him feel he could not bear to look upon them directly.

At that very moment, the Verdant Peak beside him stepped forward and bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Master, Mistress!"

Upon hearing this, Literature Abyss Lu finally snapped out of his daze. Overwhelmed with emotion, he hurriedly prostrated himself upon the Earthly Path. "This humble youth, Literature Abyss Lu, pays his respects to the two True Lord."

"Hmm."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. His gaze swept over Literature Abyss Lu for a long while before finally revealing a faint smile.

With a flick of his sleeve, he gently raised Literature Abyss Lu to his feet. Then he inquired, "Do you know what kind of innate talent you possess?"

"This..."

Literature Abyss Lu hesitated for a moment, and after a year, he finally spoke: "This junior possesses a Four Spiritual Roots [a cultivation aptitude with affinity for four of the five elements], and my constitution seems somewhat unusual. However, my knowledge is shallow, and I do not know for certain if it is a Path Body [a rare, innate physical constitution exceptionally suited to cultivation]."

Eldrin Chen exchanged a glance with Exquisite Jiang and then revealed a faint smile. He began to speak.

"Although Path Body [a rare, innate physical constitution exceptionally suited to cultivation] are uncommon in the world, when one considers the vast expanse of the True Lord Realm [the Nascent Soul stage of cultivation] and looks across an entire immense continent, they are not utterly unheard of."

"However, Path Body [rare, innate physical constitutions] also have distinctions in strength. The most common are those like the Fire Element Path Body [a constitution with innate affinity for the fire element] and other Five Elements Path Body [constitutions aligned with one of the five basic elements]. The superior ones are powerful constitutions like the Primordial Solar Path Body [a constitution of pure yang/solar essence], aligned with mighty Great Paths [profound and powerful cultivation arts or laws of the world]."

"If my judgment is correct, your constitution is the legendary Four Symbols Path Body [a superior constitution embodying the four celestial symbols]. It is a superior grade of Path Body [a rare, innate physical constitution exceptionally suited to cultivation]."

Literature Abyss Lu was inwardly startled, unable to suppress a surge of wild joy as he asked, "May I ask, True Lord [a title for a Nascent Soul stage cultivator], what exactly is the Four Symbols Path Body [a superior constitution embodying the four celestial symbols]?"

"The so-called Four Symbols [the four celestial beasts representing cardinal directions and elemental forces] refer to the Azure Dragon [the celestial beast of the east, representing wood], the White Tiger [the celestial beast of the west, representing metal], the Vermilion Bird [the celestial beast of the south, representing fire], and the Black Tortoise [the celestial beast of the north, representing water]—the Four Symbols True Spirits [the four primordial celestial beasts]. They represent four types of ultimate power within heaven and earth."

Eldrin Chen explained in detail, unraveling the mysteries of this Four Symbols Path Body [a superior constitution embodying the four celestial symbols]: "The Azure Dragon [the celestial beast of the east] governs wood; the White Tiger [the celestial beast of the west] harbors metal; the Vermilion Bird [the celestial beast of the south] ignites fire; the Black Tortoise [the celestial beast of the north] commands water."

"Possessing the Four Symbols Path Body [a superior constitution embodying the four celestial symbols] means you are, to a certain degree, Innate [naturally, from birth] attuned to these four Great Paths [profound and powerful cultivation arts or laws of the world]. In the future, your mastery over Arcane Power [mystical energy and techniques] of these four attributes, and even your comprehension of these four types of Path Principles [the fundamental laws or truths underlying cultivation arts], will progress a thousand Li-lengths in a single day, ten times smoother than for an ordinary person."

"The Four Symbols True Spirits?"

Literature Abyss Lu felt a surge of overwhelming excitement within his heart. He possessed the four spiritual roots of Fire, Metal, Wood, and Water [the fundamental spiritual affinities that determine a cultivator's elemental aptitude], which secretly aligned with the qualifications for the Four Symbols Path Body [a rare and powerful physique attuned to the four cardinal symbols of the cosmos].

Eldrin Chen observed his expression, waiting for him to digest this revelation for a moment before speaking with a smile. "Your aptitude is far from ordinary. With proper nurturing, your chances of breaking through to the Infant Soul [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul forms] are exceedingly high. This has stirred in me a desire to take you as my disciple."

"However, I am not one to force such matters. If you are unwilling to become my disciple, I shall bestow upon you some minor trinkets as a reward for a promising junior."

Upon hearing this, Literature Abyss Lu fell into deep contemplation, his face a mask of struggle and hesitation.

After a long pause, he shook his head with a bitter laugh. "My clan possesses only two Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation, where one's spiritual foundation is solidified] cultivators, and our Patriarch is advanced in years. Should I depart, I fear the Lu Clan would lack anyone capable of upholding its legacy."

"Such a heaven-defying opportunity lies before you. Are you truly willing to forsake a brilliant future for the sake of a mere Foundation Establishment clan?" Visit audio~novel.com to enjoy the complete series.

Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow, his words carrying a profound weight. "Though your talent is indeed Extraordinary, the Lu Clan is but a minor family. In the future, even securing cultivation resources would pose a significant challenge for you."

"Without a monumental stroke of fortune, whether you could ever break through to the Infant Soul remains uncertain, let alone take the further step of glimpsing the immortal path."

Literature Abyss Lu's heart trembled slightly. Yet, after another long silence, he shook his head once more. "My clan gave me life and raised me. They have shown me immense grace, and there are people within it whom I hold dear. How could I, as a junior, abandon them without a second thought?"

"Hahaha!"

Suddenly, Eldrin Chen clapped his hands and laughed heartily.

He nodded, his gaze filled with approval, and said, "You speak truly. If a person knows not gratitude, how are they different from a demon or monster?"

"If you were to abandon all past kindness for the sake of the Immortal Path, I fear I would not dare to accept you as my disciple."

Upon hearing this, Literature Abyss Lu immediately prostrated himself on the ground, feeling a cold sweat break out across his back.

He realized then that it had been a test from Eldrin Chen. Had he truly been tempted by the promise of the path ahead and acted as an ungrateful person, he likely would have been allowed to leave the Great Hall today only to be watched with suspicion by the Chen Clan in the future.

From his high seat within the Great Hall, Eldrin Chen glanced at Literature Abyss Lu and smiled. "You are indeed a fine piece of uncut jade, a talent of rare quality. Yet, the world is not lacking in cultivators with Extraordinary aptitude; most, however, fade into obscurity among the masses."

"Setting aside the breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] realm, even acquiring the Heavenly Path Energy [a rare and potent spiritual energy required for high-level cultivation] would be a near-impossible task for you without the support and resources of a proper sect."

"If you take me as your master, the road ahead will undoubtedly become far smoother."

Continuing, Eldrin Chen added, "As for your family, I can bestow upon them a Fourth-Rank Spiritual Vein [a land imbued with a powerful, fourth-tier concentration of spiritual energy] to serve as their Path-Field [a clan's foundational territory for cultivation]. Furthermore, I pledge to nurture three Golden Core Cultivator [cultivators who have formed a Golden Core, a major milestone] for the Lu Clan, elevating them to an Immortal Clan [a clan with a lineage of cultivators]. This shall serve to repay the debt of nurturing they gave you."

Literature Abyss Lu felt a surge of emotion upon hearing this. The exalted status of a Golden Core Cultivator was a rarity seen perhaps once in a generation across a kingdom. To think that in the eyes of a True Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator], it was considered a matter of little consequence.

For such an existence, what ordinary people consider priceless Golden Core Formation Pill [a pill that aids in forming a Golden Core] is but a common item, not particularly difficult to obtain.

And once the Lu Clan [the Lu Family] ascends to become a Golden Core Immortal Clan [an Immortal Clan with a Golden Core Patriarch], what a monumental opportunity this would be for the members of the Lu Clan.

With this thought, Literature Abyss Lu asked excitedly, "Our Patriarch is advanced in years, but his kindness to me is like that of a parent. I wonder if it's possible to help him achieve a Golden Core [the Golden Core cultivation stage] breakthrough?"

Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow. That Patriarch of Lu Family had already lived past three Sixty-Year Cycle [a cycle of sixty years] and had only just broken through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage [the late stage of Foundation Establishment].

To nurture such a cultivator to break through the Foundation Establishment Late Stage barrier would be far more difficult than with an ordinary practitioner.

However, as an Infant Soul Immortal Clan [an Immortal Clan with an Infant Soul Patriarch], and with Life-Extending Treasure [treasures that can extend one's lifespan] at hand, the Chen Clan was not incapable of forcibly nurturing an inferior-grade Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator of the Golden Core Realm]. It was merely a question of whether the investment was worthwhile.

Clearly, given the talent of Literature Abyss Lu's Superior Grade Path Body [a superior-grade innate constitution ideal for cultivation], such an investment was indeed justified.

Thus, Eldrin Chen nodded and said, "I will have someone deliver a portion of Life-Extending Treasure later. It will naturally assist him in breaking through to the Golden Core Realm [the realm of the Golden Core]."

"Should you later achieve a breakthrough to Infant Soul [the Infant Soul cultivation stage], you may repay the Lu Clan their Karma [the spiritual debt or consequence of one's actions]. However, if you take me as your master, your primary loyalty must henceforth be to this sect. You cannot be of two minds." Original English translation available at audio-novel . com.