"Tianlu Continent?"
Jiang Linglong frowned. The Tianlu Continent was over 7 million miles away from the Ji Continent. From the Chu Kingdom, it would require crossing over 10 million miles of mountains and rivers, a distance that worried her.
"Yes, I am going to purchase a Fire Crystal," Elian said calmly, "and also to gain some experience."
In truth, Elian's journey to Tianlu was not just for cultivating the Solar True Aura. He also intended to investigate the background of the enemy responsible for his mother's death.
Jiang Linglong was concerned. The Tianlu Continent was tens of millions of miles away, and even if something happened, it would be impossible for her to help. However, the three regions required Golden Core cultivators to hold their positions, so she couldn't leave to accompany him.
Noticing her worry, Elian gently stroked her hair and said, "Don't worry. It will be fine."
"With my current cultivation level, I'm more than capable of traveling the world."
"Alright," Jiang Linglong nodded. Purple Mansion cultivators were considered mid-to-high-level powerhouses anywhere. Unless there was a major outbreak of beast tides or demonic chaos, accidents rarely occurred.
Like Elian, Jiang Linglong wasn't one to talk much; she preferred action over words. Suppressing her worries, she handed him a crimson treasure furnace.
"The Red Sun Void-Searing Furnace?"
Seeing the crimson-gold treasure furnace, Elian's pupils contracted slightly as he murmured.
The value of this treasure was undeniable. During the battle on Qingyang Mountain, Elder Liu had used it to overwhelm multiple Purple Mansion cultivators, forcing four late-stage Purple Mansion combatants to retreat.
That battle had been a rare showdown in the Chu Kingdom. Elder Liu relied on this treasure to dominate the fight, defeating the four late-stage Purple Mansion cultivators.
If Elian hadn't paid the price of severe injury to unleash the combined power of the Heavenly Twin Swords, at least two of those four would have perished alongside Elder Liu.
"Yes," Jiang Linglong nodded. She looked at Elian and said, "With your mana comparable to the seventh level of the Purple Mansion, you can barely wield the Red Sun Void-Searing Furnace."
"With this treasure in hand, you could even forcefully slay a pseudo-Core cultivator."
Elian did not decline. He accepted the Red Sun Void-Searing Furnace and lovingly caressed the treasure. After years of cultivation, this was the first fourth-rank treasure he had obtained, leaving him a bit emotional.
Once he calmed himself, Jiang Linglong smiled and said, "This is actually a good time for you to go to Tianlu Continent."
"In fifty years, the next beast tide will erupt again. At that time, the Demon Lair likely won't remain idle either."
"To avoid being attacked on both fronts, I plan to reclaim Jiaoyang Mountain in a few years and see if we can bring it back under control."
Elian nodded. After fifty years of recovery, the three regions had regained much of their strength following the beast tide.
In the Bianzhou Region, where the Chen family resided, four additional Purple Mansion cultivators had emerged in just fifty years. Including other families, the region had gained six to seven Purple Mansion cultivators in total.
The eight families of Qingyang and Yang regions had divided Qingyang Sect's assets, and several Purple Mansion cultivators would likely emerge in the coming decades. The number of mortals and low-level cultivators had also increased significantly.
With more cultivators, spiritual mountains became insufficient. The best solution was to reclaim the territories lost to the beasts and recover the ancestral lands.
"When do you plan to act against Jiaoyang Mountain?" Elian asked.
"In about twenty years," Jiang Linglong replied calmly. After the battle with Qingyang Sect, the Tianxu Alliance had depleted many of its low-tier spirit talismans and treasures. Resting for a few years would increase their chances of reclaiming the beast territories.
"Twenty years. I'll return before then," Elian said. Though the Chu Kingdom was tens of millions of miles from Tianlu Continent, his cultivation allowed him to make the journey in about two years round trip, ensuring he wouldn't be delayed for long.
With his mastery of the Fiery Void Sword, he could travel 100,000 miles a day, so theoretically, he could traverse the distance in just over 100 days. However, long-distance travel involved more than just speed. A cultivator's energy had limits, and environmental factors also influenced travel.
Certain mountain ranges, tens of thousands of miles high, had thin air that drained mana rapidly and slowed flying speed. Some special peaks exerted geomagnetic forces, consuming a hundred times more energy to maneuver a flying sword than usual.
Moreover, some terrains spanned millions of miles with ghostly winds, miasma, lightning ridges, and fiery prisons. Even Purple Mansion cultivators would struggle to fly across and would have to detour, expending time and energy.
Reluctantly parting from Jiang Linglong, Elian first returned to his family.
At Pingyang City, he met the old patriarch.
The patriarch had delayed his breakthrough to the fifth level of the Purple Mansion by ten years to refine the Whiteblade Star Orbs. However, with these beads tempering his energy, the patriarch's power had become increasingly refined.
Although natal treasures slowed cultivation, they enhanced energy refinement, increasing the chances of forming a Golden Core later.
After all, without sufficiently pure energy, breaking through to the Golden Core Stage was almost impossible.
The old patriarch, glowing with vitality, showed no signs of the instability he'd displayed when first advancing to the fourth level of the Purple Mansion.
Seeing Elian return, the patriarch smiled and said, "You're back just in time. I wanted to discuss Nianchuan's reward with you."
"For someone like Nianchuan, who broke through to the Purple Mansion on his own, what reward do you think is appropriate?"
Elian pondered for a moment before suggesting, "A one-time bonus of 20 years' salary."
"Additionally, help Nianchuan gather third-rank materials to craft several natal treasures."
The patriarch nodded. A 20-year salary bonus equaled 100,000 spirit stones.
Nianchuan, having three spirit roots, would need six third-rank materials to forge three natal treasures, costing at least 150,000 spirit stones.
These expenditures would heavily strain most Purple Mansion clans. Only the Chen family, with its abundant resources ranking among the top in the Chu Kingdom, could afford such generosity.
Moreover, Nianchuan's decision not to use a Five Elements Crystal had saved the family a substantial expense, justifying the reward.
After discussing Nianchuan's reward, Elian brought up his journey to Tianlu Continent and the plan to reclaim Jiaoyang Mountain in 20 years.
"The journey is long, and Tianlu Continent is unfamiliar territory to you."
"Once you're there, prioritize your safety above all else."
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D