Chapter 891 : The Fiendish Gambit

As for the Primordial Spirit Late Stage Heavenly Demons, they had either perished or had their physical forms utterly destroyed and were currently reforging their bodies. This Three-Eyed Heavenly Demon was the only reliable pillar the Fiend Race [a race of malevolent beings born from chaos and negative energies] could lean on now.

"With no Great Power among the Fiends, the Three-Eyed One leads the vanguard."

"To think our Fiend Race has fallen to such a state,"

the Fiend Race Saintess murmured, suppressing the chill in her heart.

She took a deep breath before speaking. "The tide of battle has turned. We must find a way to break this deadlock, or we will inevitably fail to hold back the Human Race."

The Three-Eyed Heavenly Demon nodded, then asked, "How fares the recovery of the Nine Nether Abyssal Saint Venerable's injuries?"

The Fiend Race Saintess shook her head with a sigh. "Originally, a mere two hundred years more would have seen a full recovery. But now, without the blood sacrifices from the Human Race, the process will likely be delayed further."

"No. We cannot afford to drag this out."

The Three-Eyed Heavenly Demon paced for a moment, his expression turning icy. "If the Nine Nether Abyssal Saint Venerable can recover even a single step ahead of Heaven Abandoned Lin, we might still have a chance to reverse our fortunes in this war."

"You mean to..." The Fiend Race Saintess's pupils contracted slightly, a flicker of hesitation crossing her features. This content originates from audi0-n0vel.c0m. Please respect copyright.

The Three-Eyed Heavenly Demon [a powerful demonic entity with a third eye granting profound insight] nodded, his expression turning icy as he said, "That Returning Abyss Path Master [a title for a master of the profound and abyssal cultivation path] has become a great calamity. If we do not slay him before he breaks through to the Primordial Spirit Mid Stage [the middle stage of cultivating one's foundational spiritual core], I fear we will never have another chance."

"I understand!"

The Fiend Race Saintess [a holy maiden of the demonic fiend race] inclined her head slightly. After pacing back and forth for a moment, she declared with resolute finality, "Since we lack sufficient Human Race [the collective of human cultivators and mortals] blood for the sacrificial rite, then we shall use the blood of our own Fiend Race [a race of malevolent, demonic beings]."

"Issue the command. Spare no cost. We must ensure the Nine Nether Abyssal Saint Venerable [a venerated, saint-like entity from the deepest nether realms] recovers with all haste."

The Three-Eyed Heavenly Demon listened in silence, a faint tremor passing through his heart.

To expedite the recovery of an existence like the Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable [a demonic sovereign from the nine-layered nether abyss] was no simple matter. It would inevitably demand a staggeringly grievous price.

With this decree enacted, likely seven or eight out of every ten Fiend Race denizens within the Cosmic Stellar Archipelago [a vast celestial realm composed of star-islands] would be offered up in the blood sacrifice.

Yet the Fiend Race had always been ruthless and merciless. The Three-Eyed Heavenly Demon was long accustomed to such methods. He simply nodded and said, "This subordinate will see it done immediately."

"Wait!"

At that moment, the Fiend Race Saintess called him back. "There is one more matter," she stated, "for which you must arrange personnel."

"According to the intelligence I possess, the Human Race [the collective term for human cultivators and mortals] is preparing to gather the complete Seven Treasures Gourd [a legendary magical treasure comprised of seven enchanted gourds]."

"By my reckoning, the time for the final treasure gourd to emerge into the world is fast approaching. Dispatch your agents to investigate thoroughly. We must not allow it to fall into the hands of the Human Race."

"…"

Meanwhile, Eldrin Chen had returned to Spirit Lake Isle [an island imbued with potent spiritual energy]. There, he immersed himself in secluded cultivation, beginning the profound task of consolidating his recent gains and refining his understanding of the Dao.

Time flowed like a relentless river, seasons turning in their endless cycle.

Within the depths of his secluded meditation, the years slipped by—three full Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years, a significant unit of time in cultivation] passed in what felt like a single breath.

On this day, Eldrin Chen opened his eyes, emerging from his deep trance. A profound, distant light flickered within his gaze.

Over these three Sixty-Year Cycle, Eldrin Chen had finally been granted the rare luxury of undisturbed cultivation. While his cultivation base [the foundational level of a cultivator's power] had not made a dramatic leap, his gains were nonetheless substantial.

During the first Sixty-Year Cycle, he pored over countless scriptures and ancient texts. Through this study, he managed to advance all five of his core cultivation arts to the level of the Primordial Spirit 9th Tier [the ninth and pinnacle stage of the Primordial Spirit realm, the spiritual core of a cultivator].

The second Sixty-Year Cycle was devoted to the arduous cultivation of the Eastern Sovereign Scripture [a supreme scripture of the Eastern Sovereign lineage]. Although he did not achieve complete mastery of this profound art, he successfully advanced it to its sixth layer, progressing a significant distance along this formidable path.

At this stage, Eldrin Chen's physical strength alone was already not inferior to that of a Primordial Spirit Mid Stage [the fourth major stage of spiritual cultivation] existence. With one more step forward, he could rely solely on his bodily power to contend against powerful beings at the Primordial Spirit Late Stage [the fifth major stage of spiritual cultivation].

The reason for his astonishingly rapid progress, apart from his innate comprehension, was primarily due to his own formidable physical foundation.

Over the years, the Five Thunders Body Tempering Great Art [a supreme technique that uses the power of five types of thunder to temper and refine the physical body] constantly honed his flesh within him, making him in no way weaker than a body-refining cultivator of the same tier who specialized in physical cultivation.

Even before he meticulously cultivated the Eastern Sovereign Scripture [a legendary scripture of profound body-refining techniques], he did not need to mobilize his magical power; his physical strength alone was not inferior to a Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact], sufficient to oppose a Primordial Spirit Early Stage [the third major stage of spiritual cultivation] Great Power. Now, having obtained the Eastern Sovereign Scripture, his progress naturally advanced by leaps and bounds.

By now, Eldrin Chen's physical body already possessed a trace of Indestructibility Divinity [a legendary state where the physical form becomes nearly unbreakable]. Relying on bodily power alone, he could already withstand blows from a Mid-Grade Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure [a mid-tier powerful enchanted artifact]. Even a Top Grade Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure [a top-tier powerful enchanted artifact] would find it difficult to inflict serious wounds upon him.

However, upon reaching this stage, the foundational reserves accumulated by Eldrin Chen's Five Thunders Body Tempering Great Art had been largely depleted. To advance another step would require another millennium of accumulation. Original English translation available at audio-novel.com (official site).

Therefore, Eldrin Chen paused his cultivation of the Eastern Sovereign Scripture and instead began to contemplate the Three Buddhist Sect Scriptures [a collection of three profound scriptures from a Buddhist sect].

Those Three Buddhist Sect Scriptures were profoundly mysterious and wondrous. Among them, the Great Wisdom Scripture [a scripture that enlightens the cultivator's wisdom and intellect] could particularly enlighten a cultivator's wisdom. After Eldrin Chen began contemplating it, he entered a state of sudden enlightenment.

In what seemed like a fleeting moment, a full Sixty-Year Cycle [a cycle of sixty years] had passed. Only then did Eldrin Chen realize he had already further perfected his Innate Divine Ability [a supreme ability born from one's deepest nature] 'Primordial One True Energy' [the most fundamental and purest form of energy], comprehending it to the Great Perfection Realm [the pinnacle stage of mastery for a technique or ability].

At this point, Eldrin Chen only needed to find the crucial medicinal catalyst to cultivate this Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural ability] to the Great Perfection Realm.

By that time, both the power of the 'Primordial One True Aegis' and the 'Five Elements Primordial One Grasping Hand' would be greatly enhanced, enough to rival the legendary Immortal Rank Divine Abilities and become one of the most potent trump cards in Eldrin Chen's arsenal.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen ended his seclusion and emerged from the Seclusion Chamber.

At that moment, Exquisite Jiang and the others were cultivating in seclusion at Spirit Isle Lake. Seeing him emerge, they inquired, "How were the gains from this endeavor?"

"The accumulation of a thousand years has now been fully digested,"

Eldrin Chen murmured softly, sharing the results of his secluded cultivation with them.

During this period of seclusion, he had integrated the accumulation of over two millennia and the sum of his lifelong learnings. While his cultivation base had not seen a dramatic leap, his comprehension of the Dao and its arts had reached the absolute pinnacle of the Mortal Realm [the world of mortals, distinct from the higher immortal realms].

At his current level, he stood at the very apex of the Mortal Realm. Whether it was the Master of the Horizon Pavilion or the Master of Solar Fire Hall, none could surpass him in their understanding of Divine Ability [supernatural powers derived from profound cultivation] and Arcane Power [the mystical energy that fuels divine abilities].

The next step would be to begin Path Principles Comprehension [the profound meditation on the fundamental laws of the universe], or to quietly wait until his physical body and spiritual energy accumulated to perfection before commencing the cultivation of an Immortal Body [a body refined to an immortal state], or to cultivate the Immortal Ascension Path Fruit [the fruit of one's cultivation path that leads to ascension to immortality] amidst the mortal dust.

Yet, those who had begun Path Principles Comprehension, were cultivating an Immortal Body, or were condensing a Path Fruit [the tangible manifestation and culmination of one's cultivation path] were truly peerless existences within the Purple Seal Realm.

Within the Purple Seal Realm, those who had walked to this stage numbered only a handful of Demigod Patriarch [patriarchs who have attained a state halfway to true divinity], such as the Lord of the Path Palace, the Kunpeng Demon Sage, and the Heavenly Gaze Path Master.

Such beings, having comprehended the Ethereal Path Principles [the fundamental laws governing reality and cultivation] or condensed a Pseudo Path Fruit [a nascent, incomplete manifestation of one's cultivated Dao], have already taken a great stride beyond those bound to the Mortal Dust [the mundane world of ordinary mortals]. They can be considered to have traversed half the journey of the Immortal Ascension Path [the arduous road to immortality].

On the path of cultivation, the final ten percent of a hundred-Li-length journey is as difficult as the first ninety.

For them, what remains is merely that final step—yet it is also the most formidable chasm to cross.

Regardless, for the present Eldrin Chen, his comprehension of the Dao and its arts has reached the absolute pinnacle attainable within the Mortal Realm [the plane of existence encompassing mortal life and early cultivation stages].

Yet Eldrin Chen harbored no pride. He retrieved five wisps of hazy, ethereal energy from his Storage Bag [a spatial pouch for holding items] and spoke.

"To cultivate the 'Primordial One True Energy' [the ultimate, unified foundational energy of creation] to perfection requires the 'Five Primordial Solar Mother Energy' [the supreme spiritual essences of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth] and, most crucially, the 'Primordial One Genesis Energy' [the primordial spark of all creation] to act as the catalyst."

"Now, I have gathered all five types of Primordial Solar Mother Energy. All that remains is the final 'Primordial One Genesis Energy' to serve as the catalyst." Continue reading this story at audio novel.com.