Chapter 14 Demon Cultivator

Eldrin's pupils contracted sharply. He silently connected with the Leaf-Severing Sword, ready to strike at any moment.

Creeping forward with extreme caution, he hadn't gone far before spotting a squad of corpses clad in black armor.

There were a total of 10 corpses, their expressions vacant as if they hadn't even registered what happened before being struck down with a single blow.

"It's not a demon beast."

A thought flashed through Eldrin's mind, instantly solidifying his decision.

The Black Armor Cavalry were warriors meticulously trained by the Chen Clan. Clad in heavy armor, each possessed the strength of a 1000 jin, and when a 100 riders joined forces, they could contend with even a lower first-grade demonic beast.

Ordinary demonic beasts would never be capable of striking them down before they could even react. Moreover, human flesh and blood were potent nourishment for demonic beasts, yet these black-armored riders bore no signs of being torn or bitten.

"It's a demonic cultivator."

"The clan leader has been wounded for 3 years, and now the demonic cultivators can no longer resist coming to take a bite?"

Chen Muzhi's gaze turned icy, a flicker of killing intent flashing in his pupils.

But soon, he suppressed his killing intent deep within. The defensive formation of Pingyuan Town ahead had already been breached, and the guarding cultivators and Black Armored Cavalry were most likely already beyond salvation.

Looking at the distant-yet-near Pingyuan Town, Eldrin hesitated for a fleeting moment before deciding to turn back and summon reinforcements.

But just then, he heard the cries and screams coming from Pingyuan Town, and his footsteps involuntarily halted.

"There's still someone alive."

In just an instant, he stepped forward and crossed into Pingyuan Town.

Throughout the vast expanse of Pingyuan Town, corpses with darkened foreheads lay everywhere—clear evidence that their souls had been devoured.

Arriving at the center of the town, the killing intent in Eldrin's eyes could no longer be suppressed.

In the central training ground, the bones of the Chen clan members lay piled high. Upon the elevated platform, an elder clad in black robes was refining a dark banner.

7 demonic heads circled the black banner, ceaselessly devouring the souls of several 1000 mortals.

"Hahaha, my 7 Souls Ghost Banner!"

"It's almost complete."

Gazing at the black banner, the old man’s face lit up with ecstasy.

The 7-Souls Malevolent Ghost Banner was an exceptionally vicious magical artifact of the demonic path. This instrument could nurture 7 malevolent spirits, capable of continuously devouring mortal souls to advance their ranks.

Once this demonic treasure is fully forged, it will become the pinnacle of First-Rank Magical Instruments (Magic Treasure). Each of the 7 demonic entities it unleashes will possess strength comparable to Qi Refinement, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm).

With the strength of an Elder at Qi Refinement, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm), coupled with the 7 Souls Malevolent Ghost Banner, he would likely be able to contend against several ordinary Qi Refinement, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivators.

By then, even a cultivator at the ninth level of Qi Refinement like Eldrin would stand no chance against him. In fact, aside from the Patriarch of the Chen Family, no 1 would be able to restrain him.

"If he succeeds in refining such a demonic treasure, I fear it will inevitably become a calamity of immense proportions."

Chen Muzhi’s gaze turned icy in the distance as he decisively struck.

The Verdant Leaf Sword transformed into a brilliant arc of light, shooting across the sky as it thrust directly toward the elder.

That demonic cultivator dared to refine a sinister artifact within the Chen Clan's territory, and he was by no means unprepared. Though Eldrin's ambush caught him off guard, a cyan shield upon his person erupted with a radiant curtain of light, deflecting Eldrin's Verdant Leaf Sword.

The man first showed a flicker of surprise and doubt, then glanced at Eldrin before quickly regaining his composure.

"I thought it was someone important, but it turns out to be just a little whelp."

"Is your Chen Clan truly bereft of worthy descendants?"

The elder spoke as he summoned a black shuttle artifact, which transformed into a streak of black light tearing through the air toward its target.

Eldrin’s brow furrowed as he summoned a streak of golden light to strike forth. It was the Golden Light Blade, a top-grade first-tier magical treasure, bestowed upon Eldrin by Clan Leader Chen Changxuan when he broke through to the seventh level of Qi Refining.

The Golden Light Blade was a metal-element flying sword. While its speed fell short of the Verdant Leaf Sword, its offensive power surpassed the latter by a significant margin. As he channeled energy into the Golden Light Blade, it sent the black shuttle artifact flying with a single decisive strike.

In the blink of an eye, Eldrin seized the upper hand in the battle. With divided focus yet flawless execution, he simultaneously unleashed 2 magical artifacts, relentlessly suppressing the demonic cultivator.

After all, he was a Ninth Layer Qi Refining cultivator with 2 top-grade first-tier magical instruments, while the demonic cultivator was only at the Seventh Layer of Qi Refining. His sole top-grade first-tier magical instrument was that Cyan Light Shield, and the Black Shuttle Demonic Treasure was merely a mid-grade first-tier artifact.

Although the Chen Clan had declined, it remained a Foundation Establishment family after all—1 of the few dominant powers within tens of thousands of miles around Yu County.

If not for his desire to refine the 7 Souls Malevolent Ghost Banner, this demonic cultivator might not have dared to be the first to test the Chen family's foundations.

The disparity in cultivation and magical treasures caused cold sweat to bead on the old demonic cultivator’s forehead. Unable to endure any longer, he finally activated the 7 Souls Malevolent Ghost Banner in his hand, commanding 7 fiendish spirits to surge toward Eldrin.

These 7 fiends had not yet completed their advancement. Apart from the 2 leaders who had reached Qi Refinement, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm), the rest remained at Qi Refinement, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm). Even so, if these 7 fiends were to catch their prey head-on, even a cultivator at Qi Refinement, Peak Stage (Cultivation Realm) would likely be drained into a withered skeleton.

At the critical moment, Eldrin remained exceptionally calm. He first activated a Golden Armor Talisman to protect himself, then used a Divine Movement Talisman to greatly enhance his speed, narrowly evading the demon's pouncing attack. Finally, he cast Fireball Technique, instantly incinerating a weaker demon into wisps of azure smoke.

Yet that alone was not enough. In the fleeting instant between lightning and flame, he channeled his energy into the Golden Light Blade, deflecting the black shuttle before driving it straight toward the demonic cultivator's true form.

The old man’s heart raced as he watched the golden blade of light hurtling toward him. Though the fiend within the 7 Souls Malevolent Ghost Banner was formidable, it had a glaring weakness—its speed was no greater than that of a cultivator of the same realm.

With Eldrin's speed, he could easily evade most attacks from the several fiends as long as he wasn't surrounded. Moreover, protected by the Golden Armor Talisman, they couldn't breach his defenses for quite some time.

But the opponent's flying swords were swift as lightning. Although his Cyan Light Shield was a fine treasure, the disparity in their cultivation bases meant it might not withstand Eldrin's continuous assault from simultaneously controlling 2 flying swords.

In a panic, he summoned the demon head back to his side, intending to entangle the Golden Light Blade.

In that very instant, Eldrin leaped up, unleashing his ultimate trump card.

Crimson Flame Qi (Spiritual Root) Talisman!

The Crimson Flame Qi (Spiritual Root) Talisman was a masterwork artifact left by Seventh Granduncle, 1 that would make even a ninth-level Qi Refining cultivator pale at the sight of it. As Eldrin (Person Name) invoked it now, the outcome of the battle was instantly decided.

Crimson flames scorched the heavens, scattering the demonic hordes in frantic retreat. In an instant, the azure radiance of the Glimmerlight Shield shattered like glass. The Verdant Leaf Sword whistled through the air with a metallic ring, cleanly severing the elder demon's head from its shoulders.

"Hmm..."

With a single victorious battle, Eldrin couldn't help but take a deep breath.

This battle appeared effortless, yet held moments of peril. Had he been even half a day later, allowing his opponent to fully refine the 7 Souls Ghost Banner, not even he could have stood against it—his only option would have been to turn and flee for his life.

After the battle concluded, he thoroughly looted the old fiend's treasures before turning his attention to assessing the situation in Pingyuan Town.

This time, the demonic calamity struck, and of the over 3,000 people in Pingyuan Town, almost all had perished. He searched through the town and finally found only 2 children, about 5 or 6 years old, in the town guardian's main hall at the center, behind the town.

The 2 children, a pair of dragon-phoenix twins, threw themselves into Eldrin's arms and burst into tears.

He comforted them for a long while, and finally confirmed the boy was named Chen Ling (Person Name), while the girl was Chen Yan (Person Name). Both had just turned 6 this year. In the entire town, only these 2 children had survived.