Chapter 712 : A Gathering of True Lords

However, Eldrin Chen himself also needed to cultivate and could not exhaust all resources to support them without limit.

Regardless, with the addition of four new Infant Soul True Lords, the strength of the Chen Clan had still increased tremendously.

Currently, the main lineage of the Chen Clan boasted eight Infant Soul True Lords: Eternal Profound Chen, Eldrin Chen, Kael Chen, Ethan Chen, Silas Chen, Remembrance Gem Chen, Ancestor Mystery Chen, and Void Spirit Chen.

Adding Eldrin Chen's three Dao companions and his disciples Elara Lin and Like Swallow Meng, the main Chen Clan lineage now possessed a full thirteen True Lords.

This count did not yet include the clan's guest elders, the Recluse of Verdant Verse and Quentin Qiu, nor the newly joined Nyssa Qu.

If all these were tallied, the Chen Clan would command a formidable force of sixteen Infant Soul True Lords.

Even setting aside the guest elders, a single clan with thirteen True Lords represented a truly astonishing level of power, sufficient to claim the eighth rank within the entire Three Veins Ancient Domain.

The Immortal Clans ranked higher were mostly those with Half-Step Primordial Spirit patriarchs. Among the Immortal Clans led by Great Perfection of Infant Soul cultivators, fewer than three could boast a greater number of Infant Soul experts than the Chen Clan.

Thus, the present Chen Clan could be ranked within the top sixty or seventy positions among the two thousand Infant Soul Immortal Clans scattered across the vast Eastern Region Great Wasteland.

Contemplating the Chen Clan's current formidable strength, Eldrin Chen said with a smile, "Our clan's power is now a far cry from its former self. The time has come to lend a helping hand to the Ji Clan." Continue reading this story at audio novel.com.

"Let us summon the clan to Green Chariot Mountain for a gathering."

"..."

Three days later, the various True Lords [powerful cultivators who have condensed their Primordial Spirit] of the Chen Clan assembled atop Green Chariot Mountain.

One formidable existence after another, each a rare sight in ordinary times, converged together, every one of them radiating an aura of transcendent power.

Seated upon the main seat, Eldrin Chen swept his gaze over the thirteen True Lords present, a faint smile gracing his lips.

In a few more days, it would be Eldrin Chen's thousand-year longevity celebration. In the brief span of a single millennium, they had grown from a mere Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan [a clan whose patriarch has reached the Foundation Establishment realm] into a flourishing Immortal Clan boasting thirteen True Lords. The development of the Chen Clan was nothing short of miraculous.

Moreover, in recent years, not only had the clan welcomed several newly advanced Infant Soul [the cultivation realm above Golden Core, where the nascent soul is formed] cultivators, but even several of the older True Lords had successively achieved breakthroughs.

Among them, the one with the highest cultivation was Verdant Consort. After secluded meditation to consolidate her gains, her cultivation had advanced to the Infant Soul 6th Tier.

Exquisite Jiang had also cultivated to the Infant Soul 5th Tier. Both Lila and Elara Lin possessed Variant Spiritual Roots [a rare and powerful type of spiritual affinity], and each wielded only a single Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a magical treasure bound to one's life and soul, growing with the cultivator], allowing their cultivation speed to be remarkably swift. Their realms had now broken through to the Infant Soul Mid Stage.

The Old Patriarch possessed dual Spiritual Roots [the innate affinity that determines one's aptitude for cultivation]. Although an injury some years prior had delayed his progress, under Eldrin Chen's unstinting support, he too had recently broken through to the Infant Soul Mid Stage.

The reason these individuals' cultivation progressed with such astonishing speed was twofold. Beyond the inherent advantage of their Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual foundation that determines a cultivator's potential], it was also heavily reliant on the resources provided by the Chen Clan.

Key among these resources were the Immortal Peach Pill [a legendary elixir] refined by Eldrin Chen using the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Peach [a celestial fruit of immense spiritual potency], the Fifth Rank Spirit Shell Pearl [a high-grade spiritual treasure] obtained earlier from Nyssa Qu, and other precious items such as the Polarity Precious Ginseng Pill [a rare cultivation pill].

Suppressing the joy in his heart, Eldrin Chen passed the letter in his hand to the others and spoke. "Over these years, our Chen Clan has been able to establish our lineage within the Ji Continent solely due to the patronage and shelter provided by the Ji Clan."

"Now that the Ji Clan intends to launch an assault on the Blood God Sea Region, it is only natural that we offer our full support."

Everyone present nodded in agreement. The Ji Clan was a Primordial Spirit Immortal Clan [a powerful clan led by Primordial Spirit realm cultivators] and served as the Chen Clan's greatest backer. In this conflict, the Chen Clan truly had no other choice.

Seeing no objections from the group, Eldrin Chen continued, "Let us then deliberate on who shall be dispatched for this campaign."

"In my view, those at the Infant Soul Early Stage [the initial phase of the Infant Soul realm] will be of limited use in such a battle. The participants should be chosen from among us here," stated Eternal Profound Chen directly, stroking his beard.

Beside him, Kael Chen and the others nodded upon hearing this. An assault on a Primordial Spirit [a high cultivation realm] power like the Blood God Sea Region was bound to be perilous in the extreme.

True Lord [a title for Infant Soul realm cultivators] at the Infant Soul Early Stage would contribute little. Furthermore, the Chen Clan's newly advanced True Lord had not yet cultivated the Nirvana Tribulation Transmigration Art [a profound art that allows for reincarnation after death]. If faced with mortal danger, they would lack even the chance for a tribulation rebirth.

With this thought in mind, Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before speaking. "Remembrance Gem, Ancestor Mystery, Void Cosmos, and Like Swallow, the four of you have just made your breakthroughs. Your immediate priority is to consolidate your cultivation and advance your Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a cultivator's personally forged and soul-bound magical artifact]. You should remain to guard the clan and our Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with concentrated spiritual energy]."

"And you, Silas Chen, have only just broken through to the Infant Soul 2nd Tier [the second minor stage within the Infant Soul realm]. It would be better for you to stay with the clan as well."

"Understood."

Remembrance Gem Chen and the other three nodded, a wave of profound relief washing over them. Having just advanced their cultivation, they hadn't even finished upgrading their Lifebound Spiritual Treasure. Participating in such a major battle would likely give them the highest mortality rate among the True Lord [a title for cultivators at the Nascent Soul stage].

However, Silas Chen felt a surge of unwillingness. Unable to hold back, he spoke up. "Why can Ethan Chen go, but I cannot?"

"Ethan Chen's combat prowess is not inferior to that of an Infant Soul Mid Stage cultivator. He is capable of slaying Infant Soul Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use unorthodox, often malevolent methods]. What means do you possess to contend with such foes?"

Eldrin Chen frowned slightly, firmly rejecting Silas Chen's request to join the battle. Original publication: audio . novel . com - The source of this chapter.

As Silas reluctantly sat back down, Exquisite Jiang spoke again. "Our clan has made many enemies. Therefore, we should also leave behind a combatant with Infant Soul Late Stage strength to oversee matters here and maintain stability."

"That is also true."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement, then let his gaze sweep across the assembled group.

Among the many True Lord [a title for cultivators who have reached the Primordial Spirit realm] of the Chen Clan, there are actually quite a few cultivators possessing combat power at the Infant Soul Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Infant Soul cultivation realm].

Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang naturally need no elaboration; their combat prowess ranks among the very peak within the Infant Soul Late Stage. Verdant Consort, wielding the Verdant Lotus Arcane Power [a profound mystical ability centered on the power of the verdant lotus], is in no way inferior to them in strength, and her spiritual energy reserves even surpass theirs.

Kael Chen is also no weakling. With the augmentation of his Heavenly Demon Arcane Power [a formidable power derived from heavenly demons], his combat strength is not inferior to an ordinary Infant Soul 7th Tier [the seventh level of the Infant Soul realm], not to mention he also possesses a Heavenly Demon Immortal-Slaying Sword [a demonic sword famed for slaying immortals].

Aside from these four, Eternal Profound Chen's strength has also seen a tremendous leap forward since his breakthrough to the Infant Soul Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Infant Soul realm].

Empowered by the Eight Trigrams Treasure Flag [a set of eight enchanted banners aligned with the Eight Trigrams], the Old Patriarch has seen his might soar. These eight Treasure Flag recently advanced to the Fifth Rank Mid-Grade [mid-grade of the fifth rank]. Once deployed to form their grand formation, they can unleash power rivaling the Great Perfection of Infant Soul [the pinnacle, perfected state of the Infant Soul realm].

The sole drawback is the Old Patriarch's limited spiritual energy reserves. Although this formation set comprises his life-bound Formation Flag [flags specifically crafted to anchor and power a formation], if he were to unleash their full power, his energy would likely be exhausted in fewer than thirty moves.

He could gain the upper hand against an Infant Soul 7th Tier cultivator, but using it against an Infant Soul 8th Tier [the eighth level of the Infant Soul realm] opponent might not guarantee victory.

This is an unavoidable limitation. The Old Patriarch cultivates only the Earthly Path Foundation [a foundational cultivation method of the earthly path]. Attempting to simultaneously channel eight Spiritual Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts] is an immensely arduous task; being able to manage it in combat at all is quite an achievement.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen spoke, "For this campaign, Old Granduncle, you should remain to guard our home."

"It would be better for someone else to stay," Eternal Profound Chen shook his head and replied. "This battle carries its own perils. Your futures burn brighter. It is better for this old man to go in your stead."

"You worry too much, Old Granduncle."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile before continuing, "Your cultivation base is somewhat lacking, Old Granduncle. In a direct confrontation, your innate Formation [a complex arrangement of power used for defense, attack, or cultivation] might not secure you an advantage."

"However, if you remain to guard the clan and, at a critical moment, utilize the Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy within the earth] to deploy the Eight Trigrams Demon Refining Formation [a powerful defensive and offensive array based on the eight trigrams], even a Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a cultivator who has partially ascended beyond the Nascent Soul stage but not fully stabilized in the Primordial Spirit realm] would suffer a severe setback."

Hearing this reasoning, Eternal Profound Chen found it quite sound.

He thus nodded with a chuckle, declaring, "With this old man guarding the family seat, even if a half-step Primordial Spirit Great Power [a formidable expert who has nearly or fully ascended to the Primordial Spirit realm] were to come, they would find the gates firmly shut in their face." Visit site: audio-novel.com to enjoy the complete series.