Chapter 19 : Purifying Flames of Justice

However, stalling for those few breaths of time had already been sufficient.

In the sky, Grand Elder channeled the Solar Divine Flame Grand Formation, his snow-white hair and beard whipping in fury, his eyes blazing with lethal intent.

"Audacious fiends, how dare you rampage so!"

"Behold my Solar Divine Flame [a sacred flame of the sun, purifying to all that is evil]!"

As his words fell, the Blazing Divine Flame Pearl in the firmament erupted with incomparably dazzling radiance.

A pure stream of Solar Divine Flame descended from the heavens, illuminating the pitch-black night and enveloping the several Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use malevolent and corrupt methods to gain power].

"Aah—!"

The agonized shrieks of the Demonic Cultivator filled the air. Before this flame, specifically designed to counter their kind, even mid to late Foundation Establishment Demonic Cultivator would not dare make contact, let alone these mere Qi Refinement practitioners.

In the span of a single breath, the Demonic Cultivator were incinerated into ashes of calamity. Even the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade, that Demonic Treasure [a magical artifact forged and empowered by demonic means], was refined and purified.

Its demonic energy was utterly burned away, its baleful blood-qi melting like snow and ice before the Solar Divine Flame. Only the pure material of the Millennium Crimson Iron remained. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio-novel.com.

"Huff..."

Eldrin Chen gasped for breath, his expression grave as he stared at the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade [a sinister weapon forged through vile sacrificial rites], unable to suppress a look of deep apprehension.

"A Demonic Treasure [an artifact forged and empowered by demonic arts] of merely Second Rank Low Grade potency, yet it possesses such fearsome power."

Though the battle had erupted suddenly and concluded swiftly, the peril it contained was undeniable.

None among them had anticipated that these Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who harness corrupt and destructive energies for power] would wield a second-rank Demonic Treasure, nearly catching them completely off guard.

"They are Zhang Vorgath's men."

After the clash ended, Chen Dorian stepped forward, picking up the unfinished blade as he spoke.

"Throughout the entire Eastern Wastelands, the knowledge to forge the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade resides solely with the Demon Cave Cavern [a notorious stronghold of demonic practitioners]."

"Zhang Vorgath obtained fragments of the Demon Cave Cavern's legacy. Within all of Yu County, he is the only one who knows the crafting method for this Demonic Treasure."

Hearing this, the Grand Elder spoke, his gaze heavy with concern: "Three years ago, when escorting the Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that enables a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment realm], several Foundation Establishment Cultivator [practitioners who have solidified their spiritual foundation] jointly ambushed the Clan Patriarch."

"It seems Zhang Vorgath [a powerful and malevolent demonic cultivator] has also become entangled in this affair. In that battle, the Clan Patriarch [the revered leader of the Chen Clan] destroyed his Lifebound Demonic Treasure [a powerful artifact bound to a cultivator's soul, often used by demonic practitioners]. It appears he is now preparing to forge a new Demonic Treasure [a magical artifact imbued with malevolent or demonic power]."

Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a young cultivator of the Chen Clan] nodded slightly upon hearing this. After all, the Clan Patriarch was one of only three cultivators in the entire Yu County [a region within the cultivation world] who had reached the Foundation Establishment, Late Stage [an advanced stage within the Foundation Establishment realm, where a cultivator solidifies their spiritual foundation]. Among the more than twenty Foundation Establishment Cultivator [practitioners who have established their spiritual foundation] in Yu County, he ranked within the top three.

With his level of cultivation, even when besieged by multiple Foundation Establishment Cultivator [practitioners who have established their spiritual foundation], he had still managed to slay one of them. Zhang Vorgath, who had sought to ambush him amidst the chaos, naturally did not fare well.

In truth, during that conflict, Zhang Vorgath's Lifebound Demonic Treasure was shattered, and he nearly met his end at the hands of Chen Thalion [the Clan Patriarch, also known as Chen Changqing]. He escaped with his life only by employing the Blood Escape Grand Technique [a forbidden technique that consumes one's lifeblood to achieve a burst of extreme speed].

It was precisely because of this that Zhang Vorgath was utterly terrified after the battle. Even though he knew the Clan Patriarch, Chen Thalion, had been severely wounded, he still dared not confront the Chen Immortal Clan [an immortal cultivation clan founded by the Chen family] directly.

"That does seem to be the case," Eldrin agreed.

Chen Dorian [an elder of the Chen Clan] stroked his long beard, his gaze resting upon the blade embryo with a hint of satisfaction.

"To forge a Demonic Treasure such as the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade [a demonic blade forged and empowered through blood sacrifice] is to invite immense karmic retribution," he stated solemnly.

"This time, the old demon's scheme has failed, and he has lost this precious blade embryo. It is a fitting calamity for him."

Hearing this, the others also allowed faint smiles to touch their lips.

The material of this Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade is exceptionally extraordinary; the Millennium Crimson Iron used to forge its blade blank is also a precious treasure of heaven and earth [a rare and valuable natural resource imbued with spiritual properties].

Now, the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade has had its blood-fiend aura [the malevolent energy associated with demonic cultivation] completely scoured away by the Solar Divine Flame Grand Formation, transforming it into a pure magical tool. Although its power has diminished significantly, it can still be considered a Quasi-Second Rank Magical Tool.

"It is a pity the Clan Patriarch has suffered grave injuries. To prevent his condition from worsening, he cannot act for the time being."

"Otherwise…"

Chen Dorian said, sighing once more.

This second-rank precious iron, if it fell into the hands of a highly skilled Artificer, who could inscribe second-rank artificing formation patterns upon it, could at the very least be refined into a second-rank magical tool. Experience the full epic at www . audio-novel.com.

As soon as he finished speaking, he looked toward Eldrin Chen. "In the recent battle, your flying sword clashed directly with a Demonic Treasure and has suffered significant spiritual damage. It will likely require many days of careful nurturing to recover."

"In my view, this item should be given to Young Eldrin."

"This…" Eldrin Chen hastily declined. "This object is far too valuable. Would it not be better to leave it for the Clan Patriarch?"

Chen Dorian shook his head. "For the Clan Patriarch, a Quasi-Second Rank Magical Tool like this is of almost no use. For you, however, it would greatly enhance your combat prowess."

"Moreover, should you one day have the fortune to break through to the Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation where one builds a stable foundation for their power] realm, you could melt this material down to retrieve the Millennium Crimson Iron [a rare, high-quality iron ore refined over a thousand years] and forge it into a Life-Bound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact intimately linked to its owner's life force and cultivation]."

As the cultivator with the greatest seniority in the Chen Clan apart from the Clan Patriarch, Chen Dorian commanded immense respect.

Once he spoke, naturally no one objected. The Grand Elder was the first to voice his support.

"Within our clan, your talent is the highest. The clan's future will rest upon your shoulders."

"Take it. With this blade in hand, you will have another means to deal with any Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use dark, corrupting methods to gain power] you might encounter in the future."

"Besides, doesn't the clan still owe you over two hundred Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy]? Consider this as settling that debt."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen ceased his polite refusals. He accepted the blade embryo, his eyes alight with joy as he looked upon it.

He caressed it for a moment, reluctant to let it go, before finally storing it away with a smile.

"Let this item be valued at one thousand five hundred Clan Merit Points [points awarded for contributions, redeemable within the clan treasury]," he said.

"It works out perfectly. The harvest from my Spirit Peach [a peach tree imbued with spiritual energy, its fruit beneficial for cultivation] is coming in, and I have plenty of merit points with little use for them each year."

The Clan Patriarch's Second Rank Middle Grade Lifebound Magical Treasure [a cultivator's personally forged and soul-bound enchanted artifact] was sold for only two thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] at the time. An ordinary Second Rank Low Grade magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] would typically cost around one thousand Spirit Stones.

However, this particular embryonic treasure was extraordinary. Millennium Crimson Iron [a rare, high-quality metal refined over a millennium] is a top-tier second-rank material for artifact forging. Valuing it at one thousand five hundred was considered quite reasonable.

The Spirit Peach [a fruit imbued with spiritual energy that aids cultivation] his tree would produce each year would contribute thirty to the Clan Treasury [the central repository for a clan's resources and wealth]. That amounted to one hundred and fifty Clan Merit Points [points awarded for contributions to the clan, redeemable for resources] annually. In roughly ten years, he could clear this debt.

With a few words exchanged, the group allocated this precious treasure and then turned their gazes toward the assembled clan members.

Although the Chen Clan had slain several Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use malevolent, often sacrificial methods to gain power] in this battle, they had not emerged unscathed, having suffered greatly from the Blood-Transmuting Demon Blade [a cursed blade that feeds on and transforms the blood of its victims].

In this conflict, Chen Malachi had caught them off guard. That single demonic blade had unleashed terrifying power, claiming the lives of three Chen Clan Cultivators in a very short time, while four or five others sustained serious injuries.

The ensuing expenses for compensating the families of the fallen and healing the wounded would be a significant burden on the clan's coffers.

After some deliberation, it was decided that injured cultivators would be rewarded with a stipend equivalent to one to ten years of their usual salary, depending on the severity of their wounds.

As for the three cultivators who had fallen in battle, their descendants would receive between three hundred and five hundred Clan Merit Points, based on the deceased's cultivation level. If a descendant lacked a Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual affinity that determines one's potential for cultivation], the points would be held in reserve. Should a future descendant awaken with the aptitude for cultivation, the points would then be transferred to their account.

Eldrin Chen understood that these measures were absolutely necessary. If even those who died fighting for the clan received no compensation, who would be willing to stand and fight for it in the future?

If an immortal cultivation clan fails to uphold this principle, its people's hearts will inevitably scatter over time, becoming like loose sand, destined to eventually vanish like fleeting smoke and clouds.

The Chen Immortal Clan has existed for several centuries, and its cohesion has never been weak; naturally, they are not blind to this truth.

Furthermore, considering the clan's Clan Treasury was now empty, making it impossible to exchange merit points for Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] or supplies, Eldrin Chen and several other elders pooled together over one hundred Spirit Stone to provide them with a partial cash advance for their compensation. For more chapters, visit audio‑novel.com for the complete novel.