Chapter 869 : A Pill for the Verdant Enchantress

This time, Maris the Sea Steader had swallowed his pride to seek out Eldrin Chen, wishing to obtain a Nascent Soul Pill [a legendary pill that aids in the breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm] for his Dao Companion, Ivy the Verdant Enchantress.

That Ivy the Verdant Enchantress possessed a Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul [a Nascent Soul formed in harmony with the Heavenly Dao, granting superior potential], and she had been Dao Companions with Maris the Sea Steader for over six hundred years.

Over these years, with Maris the Sea Steader's support, she had attempted to break through to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, a realm beyond Nascent Soul] twice. Although she had failed both times, she had accumulated a not insignificant Deep-Seated Foundation [a profound and stable cultivation base]. This time, her chances of success were estimated to be quite considerable.

Having settled on one candidate, Verdant Consort spoke up, "Since we plan to launch our counteroffensive to retake the Star Lake Ancient Domain a century from now, we should prioritize nurturing Primordial Spirit cultivators within the Eastern Wastelands."

"A sound point."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement and immediately crossed off a large portion of the candidates.

After this round of eliminations, Eldrin Chen found that only four or five suitable candidates remained.

These individuals were: Nine Rivers Daoist, Lilith, Mistress of Desire, Lucian Ji, Alkaid, the Star Lord, and Tianlu Sect Master.

Among these five, four were old acquaintances of Eldrin Chen.

Nine Rivers Daoist was a long-time friend of Eldrin Chen; Tianlu Sect Master also shared a close relationship with him; Lilith, Mistress of Desire was the Dao Companion of Kael Chen; and Lucian Ji was someone he had fought alongside in the past. Join our community of readers at audio‑novel.com.

Among them, only Alkaid, the Star Lord was unfamiliar to him. Ever since the previous Alkaid, the Star Lord perished during a failed attempt to break through to the Primordial Spirit [the highest spiritual core of a cultivator] realm, this successor had gradually risen to prominence, though his current cultivation was merely at the Nascent Soul, 9th Tier level.

After pondering the list, Eldrin Chen spoke thoughtfully, "Among these five, both Lilith, Mistress of Desire and Lucian Ji possess Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul [a Nascent Soul foundation aligned with the Heavenly Dao, granting superior potential], and their cultivation has reached the Half-Step Primordial Spirit threshold. They are the most suitable candidates."

"Although their financial resources may not match the others, they possess a far greater certainty of breaking through to Primordial Spirit, which would help share our burden."

Verdant Consort nodded in agreement, then took a deep breath. "The current Alkaid, the Star Lord has only recently advanced to the Ninth Layer Nascent Soul. Obtaining an Azure Lotus Seed now would be of no immediate use to him, so he need not be considered."

"Lilith is practically family. We can allow her to owe the Spiritual Object [a general term for objects imbued with spiritual power] and repay it after her breakthrough to Primordial Spirit."

"The same can be arranged for Lucian Ji, though he must first swear a Great Oath of Reincarnation [a binding vow that transcends death and reincarnation]."

Thus, the recipients for three of the Azure Lotus Seed [a legendary seed that can aid in breaking through to the Primordial Spirit realm] were decided.

Eldrin Chen contemplated the remaining three Lotus Seed, glanced once more at the names Tianxuan the Immortal Maiden and Nine Rivers Daoist on the list, then shook his head.

"Even if Nine Rivers Daoist consumes a Nascent Soul Pill [a pill that aids in advancing the Nascent Soul], his chances of breaking through to Primordial Spirit are merely twenty percent. Yet, he has been a steadfast friend for many years, repeatedly watching over our clan whenever we were absent from the Ji Continent."

"His lifespan is now nearing five thousand years. If he misses this opportunity, he will have no choice but to face the Reincarnation Tribulation [the perilous trial of death and rebirth], forever forfeiting any hope of reaching Primordial Spirit."

Speaking to this point, Eldrin Chen's expression darkened, and he then spoke: "To be fair, I cannot bear to see him depart this life with regrets."

"Husband..."

Lila grasped his hand, took a deep breath, and said: "Those who walk the path of cultivation emphasize following the heart's desire. You may act according to your true nature."

"True nature?"

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly, revealing a contemplative expression.

Seeing this, Lyra Jiang also nodded and said: "To lend a helping hand to a long-time friend within one's capabilities, this is simply human nature."

Eldrin Chen remained silent for a moment, then spoke: "Among the clan's True Lord [a title for cultivators who have reached the Golden Core realm], the one with the fastest cultivation progress, Ethan, still needs another Ten Sixty-Year Cycles [a period of six hundred years] before there is hope of a breakthrough to the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing the Nascent Soul realm]."

"Let us try now. Take out one or two Lotus Seed [a rare spiritual herb known for its profound effects] to Deep-Seated Foundation [to solidify and deepen one's cultivation base], and see if we can nurture a Primordial Spirit cultivator."

Having decided to give one to Nine Rivers Daoist, Eldrin Chen then sifted through the list of those he had initially excluded, finding an unexpected surprise.

A party from the Gu Immortal Clan [the Gu Immortal Clan], one of the nine great Nascent Soul Immortal Clan [powerful clans whose patriarchs have reached the Nascent Soul realm] of the Central Continent, was actually willing to offer a Nascent Soul Flower [a legendary herb crucial for attempting a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm] in exchange for a Lotus Seed.

This Nascent Soul Flower [a legendary spiritual herb crucial for refining the Nascent Soul Pill] can only be cultivated by Nascent Soul Immortal Clan [powerful clans with Nascent Soul cultivators] and a select few top-tier Nascent Soul Immortal Clan, and it requires a full ten thousand years of growth before it can be used to refine the Nascent Soul Pill [a supreme elixir for advancing to the Nascent Soul realm].

Generally, such a treasure is treated as a priceless heirloom, never willingly offered for trade. It was unexpected that the other party would be willing to exchange it.

Yet, upon deeper reflection, it made sense. With the Master of the Dao Palace now trapped within the grand formation and the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [the great war against the demonic tide] having claimed the lives of numerous Nascent Soul Dao Lord [powerful cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm], the situation had changed drastically.

Within the current Purple Realm, the number of Human Race great powers at the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage [the late stage of the Primordial Spirit realm] had dwindled to a mere handful. As for Sixth Rank High Grade Alchemist [master alchemists capable of refining the highest grade of sixth-rank pills], there was not a single one left.

Without a Sixth Rank High Grade Alchemist, the Pill Success Rate [the likelihood of successfully refining a pill] for an ordinary Primordial Spirit, Mid Stage cultivator attempting to refine the Nascent Soul Pill would plummet drastically. It was estimated that a single furnace batch would yield only three or four pills at most.

Furthermore, with the more than thirty newly ascended Primordial Spirit cultivators all in seclusion to heal their wounds, the Gu Immortal Clan could not even find a single Sixth Rank Middle Grade Alchemist [an alchemist capable of refining middle-grade sixth-rank pills]. The complete novel can be found at audio-novel . com.

Having heard of Eldrin Chen's exceptional skill in Alchemy [the art of pill refinement], the Gu Clan Patriarch had no choice but to decide to entrust the Nascent Soul Pill refinement to Eldrin Chen.

As terms for the exchange, besides wanting to obtain one Azure Lotus Seed [a rare spiritual seed with profound cleansing properties], they also demanded one of the refined Treasure Pill [a pill of exceptional quality and potency] once the Nascent Soul Pill was successfully completed.

"The Nascent Soul Flower is a treasure beyond compare, so I naturally have no grounds for complaint,"

Eldrin Chen declared decisively. He then continued, "The list is thus settled. Now, please invite the Gu Clan Patriarch for a discussion."

With Eldrin Chen's final selection made, he then summoned Gu Clan Patriarch.

This Gu Immortal Clan was one of the nine great Nascent Soul Immortal Clans of the Central Continent. As recently as a century ago, it still boasted three Nascent Soul Dao Lords.

However, they suffered grievously during the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm. Of their three Nascent Soul Dao Lords, two were utterly annihilated, their souls scattered to the winds.

The third also perished on the battlefield. Even after undergoing the Reincarnation Tribulation [a perilous process of rebirth to continue one's cultivation], it would likely take a Millennium for him to cultivate his way back to the Primordial Spirit Realm [the Nascent Soul stage].

Now, with no Nascent Soul Dao Lord to anchor their power, the current Clan Lord was merely a Half-Step Primordial Spirit Nascent Soul Cultivator, leaving him fraught with anxiety.

Thus, when he sought Eldrin Chen to exchange his Nascent Soul Flower for an Azure Lotus Seed, he did so with a heart trembling with fear.

Gu Clan Patriarch followed cautiously behind Sylas Ye until they reached a grand hall. There, Sylas Ye spoke, "My Master awaits within. Please enter, Fellow Daoist [a respectful term for a fellow cultivator]."

"My thanks for guiding the way, Fellow Daoist."

Gu Clan Patriarch replied with utmost care. Though Sylas Ye before him was only at the seventh tier of the Nascent Soul realm, his reputation was formidable.

This Sylas Ye was not only a disciple of Eldrin Chen, but also possessed the Pure Yang Dao Body [a rare constitution perfectly aligned with pure yang energy]. During his travels in the Eastern Sea, he had even obtained a piece of Pure Yang Treasure Gold and forged it into a Pure Yang Separated Flame Sword.

Though Sylas Ye had only recently stepped into the Nascent Soul, 8th Tier [the eighth major stage of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual infant within the dantian], he was hailed as the Little Sword Immortal of Pure Yang [a title denoting supreme mastery of the sword path, akin to a celestial being], his combat prowess far surpassing anything the other could hope to match.

"You are too courteous, Fellow Daoist [a respectful term for a cultivator on the same path]. Please, enter."

Sylas Ye spoke plainly, offering no further pleasantries.

The Gu Clan Patriarch stepped cautiously into the Grand Hall, feeling his heart pound violently within his chest.

There, upon the dais of the Grand Hall, sat a man clad in snow-white robes. His long hair flowed freely about him, and an aura of Primordial Unity [a state of perfect harmony and oneness with the fundamental Dao] enveloped his form. He sat there like a Primordial Unity Immortal Lord [a sovereign being who has achieved ultimate unity with the primordial forces of creation].

"This junior... pays his respects to the Ancient Ancestor [a venerable title for a supremely powerful and ancient cultivator]."

Anxiety gripped the Gu Clan Patriarch, yet it was mingled with a boundless tide of reverence.

The figure before him was reputed to be the most gifted talent the Purple Realm [a legendary realm of cultivation] had ever produced, one whose potential was said to rival even that of the Purple Immortal Lord [a mythical paragon of the immortal path].

Such awe-inspiring fame filled the Gu Clan Patriarch with profound excitement. He felt that myself had perhaps been born into the most fortunate of eras.

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