Chapter 14 : A Trail of Black Armor

Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted sharply. He silently communicated with his Verdant Leaf Sword [his lifebound magical treasure], ready to strike at any moment.

He advanced cautiously, moving in stealth. Before long, he came upon a squad of corpses clad in black armor.

There were ten bodies in total. Their expressions were vacant, as if they had been struck down before they could even react, each killed by a single, fatal blow.

"This was not the work of a Demonic Beast [a beast that has absorbed spiritual energy and gained monstrous power]," he concluded.

The thought flashed through Eldrin Chen's mind, solidifying his conviction in an instant.

The Black Armored Cavalry were elite warriors meticulously trained by the Chen Clan. Clad in heavy armor, each possessed the strength of a thousand Jin-weight [one Jin-weight equals zero point five kilograms]. A hundred of them fighting together could contend with a First Rank Low Grade Demonic Beast.

No ordinary beast could have slain them so swiftly, before they could even react. Furthermore, human flesh was a great tonic for Demonic Beasts; yet there were no signs of tearing or biting on these Black Armored Cavalry soldiers.

"It was a Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses sinister, often sacrificial methods to accelerate their cultivation]," Eldrin muttered, his voice cold.

"Has it only been three years since the Clan Patriarch was wounded, and already the Demonic Cultivators cannot resist coming to take a bite?"

Chen Muzhi's gaze turned icy, a flash of killing intent flickering deep within his pupils. Support the author by reading on audio-novel*com.

Yet, in the next breath, he forced that killing intent back into the depths of his heart. The grand formation protecting Pingyuan Town ahead had already been shattered; the garrisoned cultivators and the Black Armored Cavalry were most likely already beyond saving.

Gazing at the now-near Pingyuan Town, Eldrin Chen hesitated for but a fleeting moment before deciding to turn back and summon reinforcements.

Yet, at that very instant, the sound of weeping and desperate cries from within Pingyuan Town reached his ears, and his footsteps froze against his will.

"There are still survivors."

A mere heartbeat later, he strode forward, crossing the threshold into Pingyuan Town.

Within the vast expanse of the town, corpses with darkened foreheads lay everywhere, a clear sign their souls had been devoured.

As he made his way to the town's center, the murderous glint in Eldrin Chen's pupils could no longer be contained.

There, on the central training ground, the bones of Chen Clan clansmen were piled high. Upon a raised platform, a black-robed elder was refining a sinister black banner.

Seven spectral fiends danced around that banner, ceaselessly devouring the souls of the thousands of common folk trapped below.

"Hahaha! My Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner [a vile magical banner that captures and refines souls to empower itself]!"

"At last, it nears completion."

Gazing at the black banner, the old man's face twisted into a mask of manic glee.

The Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner [a vile demonic artifact that nurtures seven malevolent ghosts] is an exceptionally wicked magical treasure of the demonic path. This artifact can nurture seven malevolent ghosts, entities that can continuously devour mortal souls to advance their power.

Once this demonic treasure is fully forged, it becomes a top-tier First-Rank Magical Instrument [the highest grade of magical artifact in its class]. Each of the seven demonic specters it unleashes would possess strength equivalent to the Qi Refinement, Late Stage [the advanced phase of the first major realm of cultivation].

With the old man's own Qi Refinement, Late Stage cultivation, combined with this Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner, he would likely be able to contend against several ordinary Qi Refinement, Late Stage cultivators at once.

By then, even a cultivator like Eldrin Chen [a young talent of the Chen Clan], who was at the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer [the peak of the Qi Refinement realm], would stand no chance against him. In fact, aside from the Chen Clan's Clan Patriarch [the supreme leader of the clan], no one would be able to restrain him.

"Such a demonic treasure, once forged, would surely become a calamity."

His gaze turning icy in the distance, Chen Muzhi [a guardian of the Chen Clan] acted without hesitation.

The Verdant Leaf Sword [a swift and agile magical sword] transformed into a streak of brilliant sword light that cleaved through the air, thrusting directly toward the old man.

The Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner of forbidden arts that harness dark energies] who dared to refine such a treasure within the Chen Clan's territory was not unprepared. Though Eldrin Chen's sudden assault caught him off guard, a cyan shield upon his person erupted with a radiant barrier, deflecting the thrust of Eldrin Chen's Verdant Leaf Sword.

The man initially showed a flicker of surprise and suspicion, then glanced at Eldrin Chen and quickly grasped the situation.

"I wondered who it might be. I never expected a mere whelp to show up," he sneered.

"Has the Chen Clan truly run out of capable men?"

As the old man spoke, he summoned a Black Shuttle [a dark, projectile-type magical artifact], transforming it into a streak of black light that shot across the sky towards Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed in concentration. He channeled his spiritual energy, sending a golden radiance to meet the attack—this was his First Rank High Grade [the highest quality tier for artifacts of the first rank] magical treasure, the Golden Light Blade. It had been bestowed upon him by the Clan Patriarch, Chen Thalion, upon his breakthrough to the Qi Refinement Seventh Layer [the seventh stage of refining one's vital energy].

The Golden Light Blade was a metal-attribute flying sword. While its speed was inferior to the Verdant Leaf Sword, its offensive power surpassed it by a significant margin. With a surge of will, Eldrin Chen commanded the golden blade, which clashed against and sent the Black Shuttle spiraling away with a resonant clang. Read the full novel exclusively on audio-novel dot com.

In the opening moments of the clash, Eldrin Chen seized the upper hand. Dividing his focus, he simultaneously commanded both of his magical treasures, pressing the Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses unorthodox, often sinister methods to advance their cultivation] into a defensive struggle.

After all, he was a cultivator of the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer [the ninth and penultimate stage of Qi Refinement], wielding two First Rank High Grade artifacts. The Demonic Cultivator, in contrast, was merely at the Qi Refinement Seventh Layer. His only First Rank High Grade treasure was the Cyan Light Shield [a defensive artifact that emits a cyan protective barrier]; that Black Shuttle was only of First Rank Middle Grade [the middle quality tier for artifacts of the first rank] quality.

Though the Chen Clan had declined, it remained a Foundation Establishment [the realm following Qi Refinement, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation] clan, one of the few dominant powers within a radius of several ten-thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] around Yu County.

Had it not been for his desire to refine the Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner [a sinister banner artifact that captures and harnesses malevolent ghost souls], this Demonic Cultivator might not have dared to be the first to test the depths of the Chen Clan's remaining strength.

The disparity in cultivation and magical treasures caused beads of cold sweat to trickle down the old Demonic Cultivator's forehead. Finally unable to bear it, he activated his Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner [a sinister banner that commands seven malevolent spirits], sending the seven demonic heads flying towards Eldrin Chen.

These seven demonic heads had not yet completed their advancement. Apart from the two leading ones which had reached the Qi Refinement, Late Stage, the rest were only at the Qi Refinement, Mid Stage. Yet, even so, if these seven demonic heads managed to latch onto their target, even a Qi Refinement, Peak Stage cultivator would likely be drained to a desiccated husk.

At this critical moment, Eldrin Chen remained exceptionally calm. He first summoned a Golden Armor Talisman [a talisman that conjures a protective suit of golden armor] to shield himself, then activated a Divine Movement Talisman [a talisman that greatly enhances the user's speed], dramatically increasing his agility to evade the pouncing demonic heads. Following this, he unleashed the Fireball Art, instantly incinerating one of the weaker demonic heads into a wisp of smoke.

Yet this alone was insufficient. In the blink of an eye, he directed his Golden Light Blade to parry the incoming Black Shuttle [a dark, needle-like projectile], then sent it streaking directly towards the Demonic Cultivator's main body.

Seeing the Golden Light Blade flying towards him, the old man's heart seized with panic. While the demonic heads of the Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner were formidable, they had a clear weakness: their speed was only comparable to that of a cultivator of the same realm.

With Eldrin Chen's enhanced speed, as long as he avoided being surrounded, he could easily dodge most attacks from the demonic heads. Moreover, protected by the Golden Armor Talisman, they would not be able to breach his defenses anytime soon.

However, his opponent's flying sword was swift as lightning. Although his Cyan Light Shield [a shield emitting a cyan protective glow] was a fine treasure, the gap in their cultivation meant it might not withstand the relentless assault of Eldrin Chen simultaneously controlling two flying swords.

In his fluster, the old man recalled the demonic heads to his side, attempting to entangle the Golden Light Blade.

And in that very instant, Eldrin Chen leapt into action, unleashing his trump card.

"Crimson Flame Talisman!"

The Crimson Flame Talisman [a powerful talisman that unleashes a devastating crimson fire] was a premium treasure left behind by the Seventh Granduncle, a talisman that would make even a Qi Refinement Ninth Layer [the ninth and final stage of Qi Refinement] cultivator pale. As Eldrin Chen invoked it, the battle was decided in an instant.

Crimson flames that could scorch the heavens erupted, scattering the fiends in a panicked flight. In a flash, they shattered the protective glow of the Cyan Light Shield [a defensive magical treasure that projects a cyan barrier]. Immediately after, the Verdant Leaf Sword [a lifebound magical sword] sang through the air with a metallic *shing*, cleaving the elder fiend's head from his shoulders.

"Hah..."

With the battle concluded, Eldrin Chen could not help but draw a deep, steadying breath.

The fight had seemed straightforward, yet it held an undercurrent of peril. Had he been even half a day later, allowing the fiend to complete the refinement of the Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner [a sinister banner that captures and harnesses seven soul essences to empower ghosts], confronting him would have been impossible; flight would have been his only recourse.

After the battle, he gathered the spoils from the elder fiend's remains and then turned his attention to assessing the situation in Pingyuan Town.

Struck by this demonic calamity, Pingyuan Town had been nearly wiped out, with over three thousand souls lost. Searching through the devastated town, he finally found only two young children, around five or six years old, hiding in the town guard's hall at the center's rear.

The two children were twins, a boy and a girl. Upon seeing Eldrin Chen, they clung to him and burst into heart-wrenching sobs.

He soothed them for a long while before finally learning their names. The boy was called Chen Leo, and the girl Chen Ember. Both had just turned six. They were the sole survivors of the entire town. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio-novel dot com.