Chapter 663 : The Final Ascent to True Lord

After the successful trial voyage of the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship, only a little over a dozen years remained until the outbreak of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a periodic, devastating eruption of demonic energy from a great abyss].

Seeing that time was running short, Eldrin Chen personally sought out Lior Chen and asked with a grave expression, "How is your recovery, Uncle? Are you in a condition to attempt a breakthrough to the Infant Soul Realm [the fourth major stage of cultivation where one forms a nascent spiritual infant] once more?"

"It has been over ninety years since my last attempt to form my Infant Soul. My foundation has nearly fully recovered; I believe I can make another attempt,"

Lior Chen replied. He understood the gravity of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm. Every additional ounce of strength could mean the difference between victory and defeat.

He grasped Eldrin Chen's intent—to see if he could advance to the Infant Soul Realm before the cataclysm descended.

"Ninety-odd years..." Eldrin murmured, his eyes flickering thoughtfully. After a moment's contemplation, he said, "While you may not have returned to your absolute peak, you have recovered ninety-nine percent of your former strength."

"We can wait no longer. The time has come to attempt the ascent to True Lord [an honorary title for a cultivator who has successfully formed their Infant Soul]."

As he spoke, Eldrin Chen produced three precious items and handed them to Lior Chen.

These treasures were the Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a supreme elixir that significantly increases the chance of forming an Infant Soul], the Positive Water Immortal Pear [a spiritual fruit that calms the mind and stabilizes the soul], and the final remaining Creation Verdant Lotus Seed [a legendary seed containing immense life force and creation energy].

"I cannot accept these," For uninterrupted reading, go to AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

Lior Chen hastily declined, unwilling to accept these treasures.

Among the treasures before him, the Nascent Soul Formation Pill could still be considered relatively common, but the remaining Creation Verdant Lotus Seed and Positive Water Immortal Pear were both borne from rare Worldly Spiritual Root and could be said to be treasures rarely seen in the world.

The Positive Water Immortal Pear alone could increase one's chances of an Infant Soul breakthrough by twenty percent, its value being at least equivalent to two hundred Heavenly Crystal, demonstrating just how precious this item was.

Understanding the immense value of these Spiritual Object, Lior Chen shook his head and said, "I have owed the clan far too much over these years. These Spiritual Object should remain as part of the clan's foundational reserves."

"Do not refuse them."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, then offered words of comfort: "If you, Uncle, successfully break through to the Infant Soul realm, even if your combat prowess is somewhat limited, you will still be able to power the War Treasure Ship and lend us your strength."

"With the great calamity imminent, every additional measure of strength increases our chances of survival. Please, Uncle, do not refuse this."

Hearing this, Lior Chen finally nodded with solemn gravity and accepted the three Spiritual Object.

Seeing that Lior Chen had been persuaded, Eldrin Chen smiled slightly and said, "Uncle, you should begin your secluded cultivation immediately. I will stand guard for you."

"..."

Lior Chen was a cultivator at the Lower-Tier Golden Core realm, and his hope of breaking through to the Infant Soul [the stage where a cultivator's nascent spiritual consciousness forms a true soul] was inherently very slim.

Fortunately, he had attempted to charge the Infant Soul barrier twice in succession. Although he had not succeeded in breaking through, these attempts had allowed him to accumulate a remarkably solid foundation.

Now, with the aid of the Nascent Soul Formation Pill [a legendary pill that greatly aids in forming the Infant Soul], the Positive Water Immortal Pear [a spiritual fruit that nourishes the soul], the Creation Verdant Lotus Seed [a seed containing immense life force], and the power of the Five Veins Infant Transformation Formation [a grand formation that channels spiritual energy to assist in soul transformation], it could be said that his current breakthrough attempt enjoyed the perfect convergence of favorable timing, advantageous location, and harmonious conditions.

As expected, roughly half a year later, a vast vortex of spiritual energy coalesced, and Lior Chen finally succeeded in breaking through to the Infant Soul Realm.

Only after Lior Chen successfully weathered the Infant Soul Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the heavenly lightning trial that tests a newly formed Infant Soul] did Eldrin Chen finally allow himself to relax.

With Lior Chen's breakthrough to Infant Soul, and counting Exquisite Jiang and her disciple, the Chen Clan lineage now boasted a full eight Infant Soul True Lord [the title for a cultivator who has reached the Infant Soul Realm].

In terms of the sheer number of Infant Soul Immortal Clan [a clan whose power is anchored by Infant Soul cultivators], the Chen Clan could rank within the top twenty among such clans across the Three Veins Ancient Domain. If one considered overall combat strength, the Chen Clan's power could barely squeeze into the top ten.

After all, the Three Veins Ancient Domain only had around ten cultivators at the Great Perfection of Infant Soul [the peak stage of the Infant Soul Realm], and among them, two or three were unaffiliated rogue cultivators with no clan ties.

Contemplating this, a swell of pride and ambition rose within Eldrin Chen's heart.

In the brief span of eight hundred years, they had developed from a mere Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan [a clan whose power is anchored by Foundation Establishment cultivators] into one of the most elite Infant Soul Immortal Clan. Such an achievement was likely unparalleled anywhere under the heavens.

Not long after Lior Chen achieved his breakthrough into the Infant Soul [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul is formed] realm, Old Patriarch and the others emerged from their secluded cultivation one after another. Thus, the group gathered together once more.

"Hahaha! Lior, you have finally ascended to the rank of True Lord [a title for powerful cultivators at the Infant Soul stage]. The lineage of the Verdant Generation [the 'Qing' generation of the Chen Clan] will no longer face the threat of being severed," Eternal Profound Chen declared, his aged eyes brimming with tears of joy.

Witnessing Lior Chen's successful advancement to Infant Soul, Eternal Profound Chen was overcome with emotion, his voice thick with feeling.

Eldrin Chen also felt a wave of profound sentiment. He recalled the clan's darkest days, when the Old Patriarch was grievously wounded and forced to recuperate in seclusion within the Spirit Spring [a spring imbued with concentrated spiritual energy]. Back then, the Granduncles of the Chang Generation [the 'Chang' generation, Eldrin's father's generation] had been whittled down to a pitiful few, like a handful of stray cats.

The clan was destitute, burdened by massive debts, and teetered on the brink of dissolution. It was only through the unwavering efforts of the few remaining Elders of the Verdant Generation that they managed to hold on.

In those trying times, Lior Chen, serving as the clan's Third Elder, shouldered the immense responsibility of managing all clan affairs. He tirelessly oversaw their various enterprises and mediated disputes among the clansmen, holding everything together through sheer will. The complete novel can be found at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

Now, in what felt like the blink of an eye, nearly eight hundred years had passed. To the present-day Chen Clan, those past struggles seemed like a distant, transformed world. One by one, the clansmen of the Verdant Generation had faded away, leaving Lior Chen as the sole remaining pillar of that generation.

Yet, the specter of Lior Chen's dwindling lifespan had always been a heavy burden on Old Granduncle's heart, a knot of worry he could not untie.

Now, with Lior Chen's breakthrough to Infant Soul, that long-held concern of Eternal Profound Chen was finally laid to rest, filling him with immense relief and joy.

The addition of a new True Lord brought cheer to all present. Exquisite Jiang smiled and said, "Now that Uncle Lior has attained the rank of True Lord, it is time for us to make our final preparations and mobilize our forces."

"Mm." Eternal Profound Chen nodded, then spoke, "The day the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a cataclysmic event where demonic forces surge from a great abyss] opens is now only thirteen years away. If we begin mobilization now, dispatching our forces three years from now would allow us to arrive at the battlefield a few years early."

"Then let the conscription decree be issued."

Eldrin Chen spoke, thus settling the matter.

With the issuance of the conscription decree from the Chen Clan, the various great Immortal Clan [powerful clans of cultivators] within the Vast Sea and Chen Nation immediately began their mobilization.

For this Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, the Chen Clan had prepared for a full century, and the major Golden Core [a major cultivation stage where one forms a golden core of spiritual power] Violet Sanctum Immortal Clan [a specific type of powerful immortal clan] had long been ready. Upon receiving the decree, they immediately began leading vast numbers of cultivators to gather at Immortal Apricot Island and Verdant Lotus Isle.

"..."

Time rushed by, and in the blink of an eye, three full years had passed.

On this day, at Verdant Lotus Isle, an immense Treasure Ship [a massive vessel powered by spiritual energy, used for transporting cultivators] measuring ten thousand Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] was moored before a Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich in spiritual energy].

Before it, a countless multitude of cultivators had gathered into a sea of humanity, queuing one by one to board the Treasure Ship.

The cultivators present numbered in the hundreds of thousands. Some wept as they bid farewell to loved ones, while others, filled with ambition and resolve, strode resolutely onto the Treasure Ship.

"I wonder how many will return alive from this one."

Upon the distant Spirit Mountain, two figures stood together, shoulder to shoulder, gazing down upon the sea of humanity below.

These two were none other than Ethan Chen and Clear Heart Path Master. The Clear Heart Path Master, his temples streaked with silver, wore an expression of profound compassion as he spoke: "The Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a periodic, catastrophic invasion from the demonic abyss] remains far too cruel a trial for them."

Ethan Chen offered no reply, his gaze fixed in silent contemplation.

The battles of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm were of a scale beyond the ordinary. The fall of a single frontier region often meant the demise of hundreds of thousands, even millions, of cultivators.

Not even an Infant Soul True Lord [a powerful cultivator whose nascent soul has matured] could guarantee their safe return, let alone these cultivators whose cultivation was merely at the Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [the advanced stage of refining one's foundational life energy].

And even surviving until the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm's end would be a harrowing ordeal for them.

Each time the Demonic Abyss [a dimensional rift leading to a realm of demons] was torn open by the Outer Realm Demon God [powerful demonic entities from beyond this world], the breach would persist for at least a decade. If the Outer Realm Demon God were willing to expend immense power to sustain it against the world's own defensive forces, that duration could stretch to thirty or even forty years. Original English translation available at audio-novel dot com.