Chapter 897 : Eighty-One Days of Divine Thunder

Fortunately, the Black Dragon was grievously wounded; otherwise, at its peak strength, the group would likely have had no choice but to flee immediately, barely capable of self-preservation.

Returning to the matter at hand, Eldrin Chen utilized the power of the Immortal Mansion's Formation to trap the Black Dragon Demon Ancestor. He then unleashed a barrage of Spiritual Treasure and Divine Ability [supernatural powers cultivated through esoteric arts], beginning a relentless assault to refine and subdue the Black Dragon.

The Great Five Elements Primordial Solar Divine Thunder, the Primordial One Grasping Hand, the Five-Colored Divine Light—one world-shaking Great God Ability [a supreme level of divine power] after another.

The Verdant Ruins Vial, the Frost Soul Immortal Ribbon, the Immortal Refining Furnace—each peerless treasure was hurled forth in an unending storm of attacks.

This titanic battle raged for eighty-one days. Pushed to their limits, the cultivators' spiritual energy [the vital power used for cultivation and magic] was nearly seventy to eighty percent depleted, and they sustained significant injuries before finally driving the Black Dragon to the brink of annihilation.

By the eighty-first day, the Black Dragon's wounds were catastrophic, its strength all but exhausted.

"…"

Yet, on that very day, several figures arrived just beyond the Ancient Immortal Ruins.

The three leaders possessed extraordinary auras. They were the paramount power of this realm's Fiend Race [a race of malevolent demons], the Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable, accompanied by the Fiend Race Saintess and the Three-Eyed Heavenly Demon.

"The Ancient Immortal Ruins… Hmph." Immerse yourself in the complete world at audi novel.com.

Gazing upon the Ancient Immortal Ruins before him, Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable let out a cold sneer, his pupils glinting with a profound chill.

Beside him, the Fiend Race Saintess furrowed her brow slightly and said, "This place is a contingency left behind by a Human Race Ancient Immortal to face a great tribulation. Is it not too reckless for us to enter?"

Upon hearing this, the Three-Eyed Heavenly Demon wore a grave expression. "If the Human Race has activated a Formation [a mystical array used for defense or attack], we could very well become trapped within."

"Do not worry. I have my own methods."

With a cold smile, Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable produced a Treasure Seal [a seal-shaped magical artifact]. "With this, it will be more than enough to slay that Returning Abyss Path Master."

"This is..."

"The Heavenly Demon God-Shattering Pearl!"

The two demons' faces paled with shock. The Fiend Race Saintess took a deep breath before speaking. "With this artifact, this Ancient Immortal Cave Mansion will be utterly defenseless."

This Heavenly Demon God-Shattering Pearl was forged by an Outer Realm Demon God using divine materials from beyond the heavens. Its grade reaches the Near-Immortal Realm, and its power is such that even a Demigod Patriarch would not dare to face it head-on.

Contemplating the destructive might of the Heavenly Demon God-Shattering Pearl, Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable nodded. "His Majesty the Demon God foresaw everything. He long ago divined that a Human Race contingency for a great tribulation would emerge here."

"The purpose of leaving this treasure behind was precisely for us to destroy this cave mansion and, in one fell swoop, slay That upstart Eldrin."

Upon hearing this, the assembled fiends could not help but reveal expressions of delight.

The Three-Eyed Heavenly Demon revealed a smile and immediately declared, "At this moment, the Human Race and the Black Dragon are undoubtedly locked in a fight to the death, with both sides having greatly depleted their spiritual power."

"They could never have imagined that our lord would emerge from seclusion ahead of schedule, catching them completely off guard."

"Hmph!"

The Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable gave a cold snort but said nothing more.

With a flick of his sleeve, he unleashed the Heavenly Demon God-Shattering Pearl, which shot forth and slammed violently against the fabric of the void.

"BOOM—"

In that instant, the heavens shook and the earth trembled, as if all creation was on the verge of utter collapse.

This Ancient Immortal Cave Mansion was forged in ancient times by an Ancient Immortal using high-grade materials. Its rank reached the Sixth Rank Superior Grade, and it was protected by a Formation [a complex defensive array of magical energy] personally laid down by an Immortal [a being who has ascended to a higher state of existence through cultivation]. By all logic, it should not have been so easily destroyed.

However, after eight hundred thousand years had passed without cultivators meticulously maintaining it, the material had inevitably decayed to a certain degree over the eons, and the power it could unleash was far from its former glory.

Now, as the Heavenly Demon God-Shattering Pearl [a devastating treasure capable of shattering divine beings] came crashing down, the grotto-abode shattered completely in an instant.

Eldrin Chen was in the midst of refining the Black Dragon when the grotto-abode collapsed between one breath and the next, the void cracking open with fissure after fissure.

The backlash struck him immediately, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood.

"Returning Abyss [a title referring to Eldrin Chen, meaning 'One Who Returns to the Abyss'], prepare to die!"

Simultaneously, a furious roar echoed from the depths of the void. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio~novel.com.

Eldrin Chen looked up to see a Treasure Furnace [a powerful alchemical or forging furnace, often used as a weapon] blotting out the sky as it soared towards him, its aura firmly locking onto his presence.

"The Demon-Slayer Furnace,"

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly, his pupils contracting with extreme gravity.

A being at the very peak of the Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm of cultivating one's primordial spiritual core], wielding a treasure bordering on Immortal Treasure [a treasure of immortal-grade power] and launching a sudden ambush—even a Demigod Patriarch [a patriarch who has attained half-immortal status] would likely suffer a grievous blow from such an attack.

In the flash of lightning and spark of flint, Eldrin Chen knew there was no escape. He decisively pushed aside Exquisite Jiang, Violet Consort Yan, and the others, then unleashed a torrent of his own spiritual power to confront the onrushing Treasure Furnace [a powerful magical cauldron used for refining and combat].

"Husband!"

Suddenly shoved away, Exquisite Jiang cried out in shocked alarm.

But Eldrin Chen shook his head and declared firmly, "Do not worry. I am protected by the Seed of Life [a legendary artifact containing immense life force]. Unless a true Immortal or Demon employs Path Principles [the fundamental laws of the Dao] to sever my existence, no one within the Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm of spiritual core cultivation] can utterly destroy me."

His words hung in the air, final as a farewell.

The might of the Demon-Slayer Furnace [a legendary furnace artifact] was unstoppable, a force even a cultivator at the peak of the Primordial Spirit 9th Tier could not withstand, let alone Eldrin Chen.

In that fleeting instant, Eldrin Chen was engulfed by the Demon-Slayer Furnace and drawn inside its confines.

Having successfully ambushed and suppressed Eldrin Chen, the Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable was ecstatic. Without a second thought for Exquisite Jiang or the others, he immediately channeled power into the Demon-Slayer Furnace and used it to also capture the dying Black Dragon.

With this done, the Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable turned and fled, abandoning the chaotic battlefield entirely.

"How dare you!"

In that very instant, a chorus of furious roars erupted.

Behold, the Demon-Subduing Divine Monk, the Master of the Glazed Palace, and even the Icy Glaze Demon Ancestor and the Immortal Refining Furnace all unleashed their power simultaneously, their attacks converging upon the Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable.

"Hahaha!"

Yet, the Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable was utterly brazen. He actually met their combined assaults with his bare palms, parrying several blows before letting out a booming laugh and vanishing into the void with the Void Escape technique.

Dozens of Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing a major stage of power] cultivators from the Human Race gave chase, but they found it impossible to restrain the Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable. They could only watch helplessly as he tore through the fabric of space and escaped.

"…"

And in that same moment, deep within the Purple Seal Realm, within the heart of the Eternal Glacier that lay in the depths of the Far North Icy Plains, a figure clad in white opened its eyes.

"This slumber... has lasted another three thousand years?"

"A pity. The seventh Nirvana [a profound rebirth or transformation] remains incomplete. It is not yet time to emerge."

The white figure murmured softly, stretching languidly before slowly sinking back into the depths of its slumber.

"..."

Within the Eastern Region Great Wasteland, a single toll of the Vast Righteousness Bell echoed from the half-ruined peak of Eastern Sovereign Mountain.

An old man sweeping the grounds opened his eyes and sighed, saying, "The Life Arcane Power is a supreme Great Path. To have comprehended such a peerless power means he cannot be slain by any being less than an Immortal or a Demon."

"If you were to emerge now, the plans laid over millennia would all come to naught."

As the old man's words faded, the bell's toll gradually dissipated into silence, leaving only the soft sound of his broom sweeping across the vast mountain.

Yet, not far away, a massive mountain range crumbled into dust without a sound, a silent testament to what had nearly transpired.

"..."

The Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable returned to the Stellar Archipelago with the Demon-Slayer Furnace in hand and immediately ordered his followers to activate the Mountain Protection Formation at full power.

Only after confirming their safety did he finally relax. Gazing at the Demon-Slayer Furnace in his grasp, he chuckled, "This Returning Abyss Path Master was said to possess the potential of a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal. It seems he was not all that."

With that, the Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable began channeling his power into the Demon-Slayer Furnace, intent on refining and utterly annihilating Eldrin Chen within its fiery depths.

Yet, despite his frantic efforts, not only did he fail to kill Eldrin Chen, he instead allowed the Black Dragon to be slain on the spot. This outcome was far beyond his expectations.

Only then did he recall Eldrin Chen's words, his expression turning grave. "Not even a near-Immortal Treasure [a treasure of immense power, one step below a true Immortal artifact] can refine him? Could it be that the Life Force Magic Power [a legendary divine ability focused on the profound mysteries of life force] is truly as miraculous as the legends say, pointing directly to the realm of a Great Encompassing Golden Immortal [the pinnacle of immortal cultivation, a state of perfect, all-encompassing golden immortality]?"

With this thought, the Nine Nether Abyssal Demon Venerable [a supreme demonic lord from the deepest nether realms] wore an expression of utmost solemnity. He immediately declared, "Issue the command. I shall use the Cosmic Stellar Archipelago [a vast, star-scattered realm of floating islands] as our foundation and the Demon-Slayer Furnace [a legendary artifact known as the 'Demon-Slayer Furnace'] as the core array-treasure to lay down the Demon-Slayer Immortal-Refining Grand Formation [the supreme 'Demon-Slayer Immortal-Refining Grand Formation'].