Chapter 884 : Victory's Bounty and the Coming Storm

Such a monumental victory filled Eldrin Chen's heart with boundless joy.

He surveyed the assembled group, pondered for a moment, and declared, "Since the moment is so auspicious, we should press our advantage and pursue the enemy."

"I must trouble you, fellow Daoists, to return and marshal your forces in preparation for a counteroffensive against the Outer Realm Fiend Race."

"Agreed," Vast Abyss Path Lord nodded, then inquired, "But when should we strike?"

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly in thought. After a brief deliberation, he stated, "Rallying our forces will take time. Let us act in ten years."

"Very well. It is settled."

The various Path Lord [powerful cultivators who have comprehended their own unique Dao] nodded in agreement. They then departed to their respective domains to organize their forces for the counterattack into the Eastern Sea Cultivation World.

As for Eldrin Chen, he did not linger. He immediately returned to Myriad Ruins Province, arriving within the territory of the Vast Sea to seek out Verdant Seal Patriarch.

Upon seeing his arrival, the Verdant Seal Patriarch could not help but smile and ask, "How were the gains from this journey?"

"It went reasonably well." This content originates from (audio-novel.com). Please respect copyright.

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile as he handed the two treasures in his grasp to Verdant Seal Patriarch.

In this battle, the group had slain several Primordial Spirit Path Lords, and the spoils they seized were not insignificant. Although most were items used by Demonic Cultivators, among them were a few exceptionally valuable Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasures [powerful enchanted artifacts forged with the essence of the primordial sun].

The Chen Clan had contributed the most effort in this fight. They claimed six or seven Demonic Treasures [magical artifacts forged by or for demonic beings] crafted from Sixth Rank Precious Metal [a rare, high-grade spiritual metal]. If the metal were extracted and refined, it could potentially be used to forge two or three new Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasures.

Yet, that alone was not the greatest prize. The two most precious Demonic Treasures possessed by Garuda the Heavenly Demon—the Black Dragon Shears [a pair of enchanted shears imbued with draconic power] and the Demonic Flame Furnace [a demonic artifact used for forging or refining]—had both fallen into Eldrin Chen's hands. This was the true, monumental harvest of the conflict.

It was precisely these two items, the Black Dragon Shears and the Demonic Flame Furnace, that Eldrin Chen now presented to Verdant Seal Patriarch.

Gazing at the two treasures in his hand, Eldrin Chen said with a smile, "The power of these artifacts is extraordinary. With their aid, Patriarch, you will surely overcome your millennial Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic heavenly trial that occurs once every thousand years of a cultivator's life]."

"Excellent, excellent, excellent."

Verdant Seal Patriarch accepted the treasure furnace, unable to contain his joy as he praised it repeatedly.

He caressed the furnace with loving hands, his delight evident as he spoke, "My millennial Great Tribulation will descend within thirty years. You have rendered me an immense service."

"The Patriarch once aided me in weathering my Primordial Spirit External Tribulation [a heavenly trial targeting the cultivator's physical form and external defenses, distinct from internal tribulations]. There is no need for such formality among family."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile before speaking again. "In a few days, I intend to make a move against the Fiend Race in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World [the vast, spiritually rich maritime region east of the continent]. When the time comes, I will need to ask you, Patriarch, to guard the clan in my stead."

Verdant Seal Patriarch gave a firm nod. "With this old man here, none below the Primordial Spirit Late Stage [the advanced stage of spiritual core formation] pose a threat. However, we must still be wary of those few specific individuals."

"That is precisely my thought," Eldrin Chen agreed.

A flicker of understanding passed through Eldrin Chen's eyes. He knew the Verdant Seal Patriarch was referring to figures like the Blood Demon Patriarch and the entity known as the Black Lotus Demonic Embryo [a sinister, sentient artifact of immense demonic power].

If they were to strike the Eastern Sea Cultivation World, the Blood Demon Patriarch and his ilk would certainly not stand idly by. Furthermore, even the Black Dragon Demon Ancestor [an ancient and immensely powerful draconic entity], in the interest of maintaining the delicate balance between the Human Race and the demonic races, might intervene to prevent a human victory.

Yet, reclaiming the Eastern Sea Cultivation World could not be delayed any longer. The longer they waited, the more the mortal population there would dwindle, and the deeper the Fiend Race [a collective term for malevolent, demonic cultivators and beings] would sink its roots into the land.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen drew a deep breath. "The Eastern Sea Cultivation World must be retaken. Yet, we cannot simply ignore the Blood Demon and the Black Lotus and their followers."

"I will speak with the Demon-Subduing Divine Monk and the Master of Glazed Palace. For the greater stability of the Purple Seal Realm [their shared world or domain], I believe they will spare no effort to firmly contain those two."

"As for that Black Dragon..."

At this point, Eldrin Chen's expression grew solemn. He took another steadying breath. "To restrain *him*, we will likely need to request the intervention of the Master of the Horizon Pavilion."

Upon hearing this, Verdant Seal Path Master [the ancient immortal guiding the Chen Clan] could not help but furrow his brow with a trace of solemnity, yet he understood the logic in Eldrin Chen's words.

Previously, during the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a great war against the demonic tide], the Immortal Refining Furnace [a supreme artifact capable of refining even immortals] had suffered severe depletion of its vital energy. It would require at least ten Sixty-Year Cycle [a cycle of sixty years] of recuperation to fully recover. Furthermore, given Dorian Ji's current cultivation level, he was unable to unleash the Immortal Refining Furnace's full might.

Not long ago, when they had launched a surprise attack and slain Garuda the Heavenly Demon [a powerful bird-like demon lord], the Black Dragon [a primordial black dragon demon ancestor] had been caught off guard. It was only through Dorian Ji's activation of the Immortal Refining Furnace, combined with the efforts of the Icy Glaze Demon Ancestor [a powerful ice-attribute demon], that they managed to block its path.

That Black Dragon Demon Ancestor [the primordial ancestor of black dragons], feeling unprepared and uncertain of a successful rescue, had chosen to hold its position and not intervene.

In the upcoming battle, the Human Race planned to drive the Fiend Race [the demonic races] back to the Cosmic Stellar Archipelago [a vast archipelago of floating stellar realms]. This no longer aligned with the Black Dragon Demon Ancestor's desire to sit back and reap the benefits of others' conflict. It was likely unwilling to intervene.

And once the Black Dragon Demon Ancestor made its move, the only one within the Human Race capable of opposing it would be the Master of the Horizon Pavilion [a supremely powerful human expert]. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audi0-n0vel.c0m.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen took a deep breath, a thread of unease coiling in his heart as he spoke, "Although the Master of the Horizon Pavilion's power approaches the realm of Creation [the act of world-creation, a supreme level of power], he has only just managed to suppress the Blood Curse [a potent and malignant curse] within his body."

"If he were to engage in a full-scale battle against a Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a high-level cultivator] of the Primordial Spirit 9th Tier [the ninth and highest tier of the Primordial Spirit realm], even if he could withstand it, the exertion would undoubtedly worsen his internal injuries."

"Yet, it remains our only recourse."

Verdant Abyss Path Master [a senior path master of the Chen Clan] sighed, then offered a bitter smile. "Our only hope now is to pray that the Black Dragon will consider the greater stability of the Purple Seal Realm [the primary world where the story takes place]."

"Or perhaps, they also fear mutual destruction and are unwilling to engage Master of the Horizon Pavilion in battle."

"It seems that is the only way."

Eldrin Chen sighed inwardly and immediately departed from the Vast Sea, heading towards the Eastern Sea Cultivation World.

Traversing the Boundless Void, Eldrin Chen soon arrived within the Eastern Sea Cultivation World and found the Master of the Horizon Pavilion, who was in secluded cultivation to heal his wounds.

Upon seeing him, the Master of the Horizon Pavilion could not help but ask, "How did the battle go?"

"It went fairly smoothly."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile and recounted the outcome of the battle to the Master of the Horizon Pavilion.

After listening, the Master of the Horizon Pavilion's eyes brightened slightly, and he spoke with immense joy, "Excellent, excellent, excellent. After this battle, our Human Race shall surely prosper."

"Cough, cough, cough..."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Master of the Horizon Pavilion was suddenly wracked by violent coughing, actually expelling a mouthful of dark blood.

"Senior."

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly. He instinctively reached out to steady Master of the Horizon Pavilion, his voice laced with urgent concern. "Your injuries…"

"It is nothing serious."

Master of the Horizon Pavilion shook his head, a faint smile touching his lips. "During the battle, a few of the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [powerful demons from beyond this realm] saw the tide turning and sought to intervene. I intercepted them and engaged in a brief skirmish, which merely agitated some old wounds."

"They are but lingering afflictions. Pay them no mind."

"Senior…"

A tremor passed through Eldrin Chen's heart, and a flicker of anguish surfaced in his eyes.

The Master of the Horizon Pavilion spoke lightly, but Eldrin Chen understood the grim reality beneath those words.

However diminished their forces, the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon still possessed two supreme experts at the Primordial Spirit Late Stage [the advanced stage of spiritual core formation]. For the Master of the Horizon Pavilion to have held them firmly at bay, that confrontation could not have been anything but arduous.

The thought filled him with a deep reluctance. He could not bear the idea of asking the Master of the Horizon Pavilion to face the Black Dragon Demon Ancestor [an ancient and formidable draconic fiend] once more.

"I understand your thoughts."

That Master of the Horizon Pavilion had lived for nearly twenty thousand years, and his life experience was naturally incomparably rich.

With a single glance, he grasped Eldrin Chen's intention. Shaking his head, he said, "I have cultivated the Dao for eighteen thousand years. Those who can match me are not few, but those who can truly slay me can be counted on one hand."

"A mere Black Dragon is no match for this old man. You need not worry overmuch."

A pang of sorrow twisted in Eldrin Chen's heart. He knew the Master of the Horizon Pavilion was offering words of comfort, yet his expression remained heavy with grief as he replied, "Senior, perhaps we could wait a few more years." Access the full story on audio-novel*com.