Elian held his seventh grand-uncle's cold hand, silently reciting the sixteen-character generational motto of the Chen family. These short sixteen words encapsulated the founding ancestor's hopes for his descendants.
The seventh grand-uncle's funeral arrangements were overseen by the Third Elder. The old man's sons, unable to cultivate, had passed away long before him, and his grandchildren were already in their seventies, less close to him than Elian was.
The funeral was kept simple. After the mourning period of seven days and the burial, Elian finally left Qingyuan Mountain to head toward Linghu Isle, 5,000 miles away.
The journey to Linghu Isle took Elian five to six days, traveling at a speed of 1,000 miles a day using the Wind-Riding Technique. During this time, he inventoried the possessions left to him by his seventh grand-uncle.
The old man hadn't left much behind. The most valuable items were two talismans and a Greenleaf Sword.
One talisman, the Scarlet Flame Talisman, could unleash True Scarlet Flame, capable of severely injuring a ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator—a lethal weapon against late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators.
The other, the Golden Armor Talisman, could manifest a golden protective shield strong enough to withstand a full-strength attack from a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator. Moreover, it could be used three times.
The Greenleaf Sword, crafted from the leaves of the highly valuable mid-grade second-tier Greenleaf Bamboo, was another treasure. While the Greenleaf Bamboo's leaves were primarily used to forge numerous first-tier swords, only cultivators with Wood Spiritual Roots could unleash its full potential. Other cultivators could only harness 60–70% of its power.
Despite this limitation, the Chu Kingdom's Qingyang Sect monopolized the low-tier magical weapon market with its Greenleaf Bamboo, generating considerable revenue annually.
The Greenleaf Sword left to Elian was a high-grade first-tier magical weapon with significant power. Being a Five Spiritual Roots cultivator, Elian could unleash its full potential. (Five Spiritual Roots enhanced remember)
"So, this is Linghu Isle?"
Standing before a vast lake, Elian gazed at the stunning scenery and couldn't help but feel impressed.
Linghu Isle was a sprawling lake spanning over a hundred miles, with a picturesque central island. Not only was the scenery breathtaking, but rare creatures also resided on the island.
A little over a decade ago, the area had been barren.
The clan leader had stumbled upon a high-grade first-tier spiritual vein here and mobilized resources to slay the high-grade first-tier demonic beast that ruled the area, claiming this treasure land for the family.
Over the years, the Chen family had established a high-grade first-tier formation on the central island, using the spiritual vein's energy to raise the Azure Spirit Fish in the lake. Through diligent effort, the desolate island had become a secondary family stronghold.
When Elian arrived at the central island, the two Chen family cultivators stationed there visibly relaxed.
"The family finally sent someone," they said with relief.
For now, Linghu Isle was overseen by Elian's ninth elder brother, Chen Nianqian, and the fourteenth-ranked member of the Nian generation, Chen Nianyuan.
Chen Nianqian, at thirty-two, was hampered by poor aptitude, having only reached the third level of Qi Refinement. He would likely never break into the late stages of Qi Refinement. Chen Nianyuan, a Five Spiritual Roots cultivator, was similarly limited; at twenty-five, he had only just reached the first level of Qi Refinement.
Originally, the island was guarded by a ninth-level Qi Refinement elder of the Chang generation. However, during the fight to protect the Foundation Establishment Pill, the family had called upon all their aged ninth-level Qi Refinement elders, none of whom survived.
Since then, Chen Nianqian and Chen Nianyuan had lived in fear, constantly worried about the island's safety.
Today, seeing a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator arrive, they could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"Now that you're here, Elian, let's hand over the responsibilities," Chen Nianqian said with a smile.
Due to the plans to develop spirit fields and raise spirit fish, the family had decided not to station other cultivators on Linghu Isle to ensure adequate spiritual energy for Elian's cultivation.
More importantly, the family lacked manpower. With the deaths of several ninth-level Qi Refinement elders, every cultivator was urgently needed elsewhere.
Since Linghu Isle had only been developed over the past decade and wasn't yet a critical family asset, there wasn't much to hand over.
The most valuable assets were the Azure Spirit Fish in the lake. A specialty of Linghu Lake, these fish not only tasted exceptionally delicious but also enhanced cultivation when consumed.
There were currently 137 Azure Spirit Fish in the lake. Adult fish, each worth five spirit stones, were rare, as most of the fish were young and still needed time to mature. Once grown, they would undoubtedly provide the family with considerable revenue.
The most prized fish, the king of the lake, had cultivation equivalent to a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator. Most of the other fish were its offspring. The fish king was extremely docile and considered the most valuable asset of Linghu Isle.
After counting the fish, Elian nodded and signed the transfer register.
"Finally, we can return home," said the two cultivators with smiles of relief.
Though Linghu Isle was beautiful and rich in spiritual energy, its isolation and lack of human presence made it a desolate place to live.
After sending them off, Elian inspected the island's protective formation.
The formation, known as the Two Elements Sunrise Array, was powered by two high-grade first-tier magical tools: the Mist Shroud and the Flaming Sun Sword.
The formation drew on the morning glow and the lake's water-attribute spiritual energy to unleash immense power.
The Mist Shroud obscured divine senses, enveloping the island in a dense fog that even late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators couldn't penetrate.
The Flaming Sun Sword, charged by the morning glow, could unleash nine consecutive strikes, each equivalent to a late-stage Qi Refinement cultivator's ultimate attack—enough to slay a ninth-level Qi Refinement cultivator. However, once depleted, recharging the sword would take nine years, so it was not to be used lightly.
Taking charge of the formation gave Elian a sense of security. With this array in place, even three to five late-stage Qi Refinement cultivators would struggle to breach Linghu Isle.
After refining the formation's control disk, Elian began surveying the island.
The Azure Spirit Fish fed on aquatic plants, requiring no special care, but developing spirit fields was a challenging task.
While the high-grade first-tier spiritual vein on Linghu Isle could support three acres of spirit fields, identifying suitable locations required careful observation to find areas where spiritual energy converged.
Not far from the lake, Elian discovered a spiritual energy nexus and was surprised to find a peach tree growing there.
It was early spring, and the peach tree was in full bloom, its flowers radiant with a faint spiritual glow.
"A Spirit Peach Tree?" Elian exclaimed in delight before shaking his head. Though the peach tree grew in a spiritual energy nexus and was close to becoming a spiritual root, it still fell short.
Spirit Peach Trees bore fruits once a year, and their peaches were treasures for Qi Refinement cultivators, often more effective than Qi-Gathering Pills. On the market, a single spirit peach was worth five spirit stones.