Chapter 18 : A Demon's Shadow in the City

Chen Dorian spoke, his gaze tinged with recollection. A century ago, he had been less than ten years old, yet the memory of that terrifying demonic calamity remained vividly clear in his mind.

As his words fell, he looked at the heads in the cellar and continued.

"Fortunately, this minor demonic fiend did not dare to run amok within the city walls. He merely secretly killed several dozen people. Had he found the opportunity to slaughter thousands to refine a Demonic Treasure [a powerful artifact forged through malevolent and bloody rites], even an ordinary Qi Refinement, Late Stage [the advanced phase of the initial stage of cultivation] cultivator might not have been able to subdue him."

Eldrin Chen listened in silence, a hidden glint of killing intent flickering deep within his eyes.

For now, this Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses sinister, often sacrificial methods to gain power] indeed dared not act recklessly. However, once the Chen Clan weakened, such hidden Demonic Cultivator threats would likely be the first to rise and take a vicious bite. When that calamity struck, it would be the common folk of the Chen Immortal Clan who would suffer.

Throughout the ages, countless immortal cultivation clans had ultimately been schemed against by these Demonic Cultivator in their moments of decline. Losing their foundation of mortal descendants, they were reduced to precarious, fate-tossed rogue cultivators, eventually fading away into the long Ronan of heaven and earth.

"It seems our resolve to root them out early was absolutely the correct decision," he concluded.

After meticulously searching the Demonic Cultivator's dwelling and confirming no further clues remained, the group could only return to the central square.

The detection process continued. In the blink of an eye, another two days passed, and on this day, yet another Demonic Cultivator was uncovered.

This particular Demonic Cultivator was not exposed by the detection ritual. Instead, summoned for questioning and fearing discovery, he chose to kill the messenger and attempt to flee. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio - novel . com.

Alas, the City Guardian Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array protecting a city] had long since been activated, transforming the entire Pingyang County into an inescapable net. Even a Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation] Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses sinister, life-draining methods to gain power] who dared enter would have to leave a piece of their life behind. For him, there was simply no path of escape.

In the end, the Fourth Elder, Chen Alistair, personally took action. Channeling his magical tool, he struck down the fugitive at the very edge of the city walls. In the days that followed, a swift silence descended once more, as if all the Demonic Cultivator had vanished into the shadows.

Several nights later, within a large courtyard in the city, five figures cloaked in black robes gathered, their heads bent in secret council.

"Esteemed colleagues," one began, "it appears the Chen Clan is truly resolved this time. They leave us no road to survival."

"To sit and await our doom is no strategy. Our only chance to live lies in striking first, in seizing the initiative."

The speaker was their leader, a Demonic Cultivator at the Qi Refinement, 8th Layer [the eighth stage of the first major realm, where one refines the body's vital energy]. His features were handsome, yet his eyes held a sinister, crimson gleam.

The others seemed to harbor a measure of fear towards him. Only one let out a cold snort before speaking.

"Chen Malachi, your master is Zhang Vorgath. Surely he possesses some means for your escape?"

"Now you urge us to fight desperately. Do not tell me you intend to use us as mere cannon fodder?"

At these words, the gathered Demonic Cultivator turned wary eyes towards Chen Malachi.

Zhang Vorgath's legacy stems from the Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who cultivate using dark, often sacrificial, methods] lineage of the Demon Cave Cavern, making him a notorious Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation] Demonic Cultivator within Yu County. He is cunning and malevolent, often resorting to any means necessary to achieve his ends.

Sheltered by this formidable patron, Chen Malachi had always acted with arrogant impunity, instilling fear and wariness in all who crossed his path.

Upon hearing this, Chen Malachi fell into a rare silence. After a long pause, he finally spoke.

"We never anticipated the Chen Clan would act with such decisive ruthlessness."

"Even Zhang Morgrim, the master's own flesh and blood, was slain by a Chen Clan elder after sacrificing thousands of mortals. What chance do I, a mere nominal disciple, have?"

"I possess no hidden contingencies. Our only hope for survival is to fight our way out together."

Feeling he had shown too much fear before the others, he quickly added, "But take heart. Over a dozen days have passed; our master has surely realized the situation by now."

"If we strike from within and shatter Pingyang County's City Guardian Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array protecting a city], our master will breach the defenses and carve a path to our freedom."

The dissenting Demonic Cultivator remained skeptical, but with no better alternative, he gritted his teeth and agreed to Chen Malachi's plan.

"Then let us not delay. We make our move tonight."

"…"

At the hour of midnight, at the core of the grand formation in the center of Pingyang County, more than twenty cultivators were stationed around the formation, vigilantly guarding the defensive array of Pingyang City.

Suddenly, the Grand Elder opened his eyes, a sharp glint flashing within his pupils.

"Who goes there?"

"*Whoosh—*"

A soft sound pierced the darkness, followed by several streaks of light—multiple Demonic Treasure [malevolent enchanted artifacts] hurtling towards them. Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at www . audio-novel.com.

The Grand Elder reacted decisively. He summoned a magical blade into the air, parrying the most powerful of the incoming Demonic Treasure.

The clash unfolded in the blink of an eye. Though the Demonic Cultivator's ambush caught them off guard, the Chen Clan Cultivators were not entirely unprepared.

In the frantic exchange, only one cultivator, too slow to react, was grievously wounded. The others swiftly rallied, unleashing their own magical tools and arts to engage the enemy.

From the very outset of the battle, the Demonic Cultivator found themselves rapidly forced onto the defensive.

Seeing the situation turn dire, Chen Malachi gritted his teeth and produced a blood-red demonic blade. With a desperate act, he sprayed a mouthful of his vital essence Qi [the vital energy that flows through all living things] onto it.

This blade was named the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade. It had been forged by his master, Zhang Vorgath, from thousand-year-old crimson iron. Strictly speaking, this demonic blade was merely a nascent form, a blade embryo. To complete its forging, it required the essence of one hundred thousand mortal lives to be fully tempered.

Such a demonic blade was exceedingly tyrannical. Once fully forged, it would become a top-tier second-rank Demonic Treasure [an artifact of great power forged through malevolent and bloody means]. If wielded personally by Zhang Vorgath, even an ordinary Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has solidified their spiritual foundation] would be cleaved in two, their lifeblood and Qi utterly drained.

To complete the blade's forging, Zhang Vorgath had entrusted this artifact to Chen Malachi, instructing him to hide within the city. Seizing the opportunity presented by the Chen Clan's current weakness, he was to seek a chance for a blood sacrifice to empower the blade.

The reason for this subterfuge lay in Zhang Vorgath's inherently suspicious and cautious nature; he feared the Solar Divine Flame Grand Formation. Although he was a Foundation Establishment Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who cultivates power through dark, often sacrificial means], he dared not venture into Pingyang County personally. Thus, he could only delegate this task to his disciple.

Now, in a desperate bid to break the deadlock, Chen Malachi directly fueled the blade with his own lifebound vital essence. Paying the steep price of severe damage to his own life force, he summoned forth this second-rank Demonic Treasure embryo, aiming for a decisive victory.

"Disaster!"

The moment the demonic blade appeared, the Grand Elder's face paled dramatically as he exclaimed.

"It's a second-rank Demonic Treasure!"

"I must activate the Solar Divine Flame Grand Formation! Hold them off for a moment!"

Hearing this, the group swiftly acted, striving with all their might to block the incoming demonic blade.

The incident was too sudden. Even though Grand Elder sought to activate the Solar Divine Flame Grand Formation [a powerful defensive and offensive formation harnessing solar fire] to defend against the enemy, it would require several breaths' time.

After all, the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade [a sinister blade that refines and consumes the blood and vitality of its victims] was a top-tier Second Rank Demonic Treasure [an artifact forged and empowered by demonic cultivation methods]. Though merely an embryonic form, its power was sufficient to rival a Second Rank Low Grade magical weapon.

As the demonic blade descended, ordinary First Rank Middle Grade and First Rank Low Grade magical tools shattered upon impact. Even First Rank High Grade magical tools were notched and sent flying back. Three Chen Clan Cultivators, their fates unfortunate, were cleaved in two, their lifeblood and vital Qi [the vital energy that flows through all living things] utterly drained.

It was within these few breaths that the others, resting in the side hall, finally reacted.

Eldrin Chen was the first to charge forward. He summoned his Golden Light Blade [a sword that emits a brilliant golden radiance] and slashed at the demonic weapon. The blades clashed, and the Golden Light Blade was sent spinning away.

Seeing that even the Golden Light Blade could not hold it back, and with no time to mourn the damage to his treasure, he immediately unleashed his Verdant Leaf Sword [a swift and agile sword resembling a verdant leaf]. This time, he did not aim for the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade. Instead, his strike flew straight for Chen Malachi's head.

This tactic of "besieging Wei to rescue Zhao" [a classic stratagem of attacking a vital point to force an enemy to abandon their current objective] proved effective. At this moment of life and death, Chen Malachi could no longer focus on Grand Elder. He frantically redirected the demonic blade to intercept the Verdant Leaf Sword. A single collision was enough; the Verdant Leaf Sword's glow dimmed drastically, its spiritual essence grievously wounded. This chapter is provided by audio-novel . com. Support the original.