Chapter 22 : Sword of Solar Flame Unleashed

"Clang—" [the sharp metallic sound of blades meeting]

As his words faded, a fiery crimson sword-light shot forth, cleaving through the air towards the middle-aged woman.

It was Eldrin Chen, activating the formation and unleashing its core artifact, the Solar Flame Sword. His strike was decisive and ruthless, aiming first to eliminate the weakest of the trio—the middle-aged woman.

Her cultivation was merely at the Qi Refinement Seventh Layer [the seventh stage of refining one's vital energy]. Panicking at the sight, she hastily summoned a black silk kerchief, a defensive magical tool, hoping to block the blow.

Yet the Solar Flame Sword possessed overwhelming power, a force that even cultivators at the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer [the peak stage of Qi Refinement] would struggle to withstand, let alone her.

A thunderous explosion echoed as the silk artifact was sheared in two, instantly incinerated to ashes by the sword's solar flame energy.

Undiminished, the Solar Flame Sword continued its lethal arc, aiming directly for the space between the woman's brows.

In that desperate moment, the burly middle-aged man intervened, conjuring a blood-red buckler. It unfurled a crimson barrier of light, intercepting the strike at the last possible instant.

This was a First Rank High Grade [a top-tier artifact of the initial rank] demonic path magical tool, forged and tempered with the refined essence [life force] of countless mortals. The barrier it projected was formidable. Even after blocking the Solar Flame Sword, its glow dimmed by only forty or fifty percent.

Seeing his first assault thwarted, Eldrin Chen did not hesitate. He channeled his power once more, sending the Solar Flame Sword sweeping down in another blazing arc. Official source: https://audio-novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

As a formation-based artifact, the Solar Flame Sword could only unleash nine strikes after accumulating a decade's worth of Dawn Violet Qi [the first and purest spiritual energy of the rising sun], yet the power of each strike was truly formidable.

The second sword radiance descended, shattering the crimson shield light with a resounding crack and forcing the three Demonic Cultivator to scatter in a frantic, scrambling retreat.

"A Pure Yang formation artifact," the burly Demonic Cultivator spat, his expression grim.

He looked with heartache at his spirit-damaged blood shield, then gritted his teeth and produced a talisman.

This talisman was known as the Six Ghosts Talisman [a one-use talisman that unleashes six captive malevolent ghosts]. It sealed within it six malevolent ghosts of the Qi Refinement, Late Stage. Due to the high-quality materials required for its creation and the need for six such ghosts, Zhang Vorgath possessed only one or two of them.

Although this disposable Six Ghosts Talisman was far less valuable than the Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner [a banner that can perpetually command seven powerful ghost souls], its potency in a critical moment was nearly comparable.

The emergence of the six Qi Refinement, Late Stage malevolent ghosts immediately caused Eldrin Chen to frown.

If these six specters were allowed to rampage, the Spirit Farmland [land infused with spiritual energy to grow special crops], the spirit geese, and even the two siblings on Lake Heart Island would be in grave danger.

Without a moment's hesitation, Eldrin summoned the Solar Flame Sword once more. Six consecutive sword beams flashed forth, reducing the six malevolent ghosts to ashes.

"One strike remains," he murmured, his gaze sweeping over the foes before him. "For whom shall it be destined?"

After vanquishing the six spectral fiends, Eldrin Chen cast a swift glance at the three remaining foes, a strategy flashing through his mind in an instant.

Although his previous sword strike had forced the trio to scatter into the concealing mists, he knew that given time, they would inevitably regroup.

In that fleeting moment of thought, Eldrin Chen's eyes narrowed, glinting with a cold, decisive light.

"Better to sever one finger than to wound all ten," he murmured, the ancient adage guiding his intent.

"Cleave—!"

With ruthless precision, his sword shot forth, its lethal arc aimed directly at the female cultivator, the weakest among them.

Her cultivation was the most fragile, and the destruction of her demonic artifact had rebounded upon her, leaving her grievously wounded.

Now, as the Solar Flame Sword descended upon her, stark terror contorted her features. In her panic, she barely managed to summon a demonic trident to parry, but it was futile. The blade sheared through both weapon and wielder, cleaving her in two.

"Agh—!"

A scream, abruptly cut short, echoed across the island. The two remaining demons' faces twisted with fury and alarm. They immediately converged, rushing toward the source of the sound and reuniting without delay.

The two men glanced at the beauty who had been cleaved in two, their pupils contracting sharply, then exchanged a look of shock and fear.

At the same moment, Eldrin Chen glanced at his Solar Flame Sword and couldn't help but frown. After that strike, the accumulated Dawn Violet Qi [the potent energy gathered at sunrise, prized by cultivators] within the sword was completely spent. Even the mist conjured by the Mist Veil Canopy was beginning to dissipate.

"It seems another bout is unavoidable," he murmured.

Setting down the formation disk, Eldrin Chen charged towards the location of the two demons.

When man and demons met, a life-or-death struggle was inevitable. The gaunt elder struck first, summoning a sharp, whirling treasure wheel that sliced through the air towards Eldrin.

It was a First Rank High Grade Demonic Treasure [an artifact forged and empowered by demonic cultivation arts]. While its power paled in comparison to top-tier demonic treasures like the Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner, it was still a formidable weapon in its own right. Read the full novel exclusively on audi novel.com.

As the spinning wheel hurtled towards him, Eldrin Chen's gaze sharpened. He immediately channeled his energy, sending the Verdant Leaf Sword flashing through the air to intercept the attack.

Not stopping there, he continued to pour his True Qi [the refined energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] into another weapon. The Golden Light Blade shot forth like a bolt, aimed directly at the gaunt elder's skull.

The flying sword was blindingly fast. The Golden Light Blade streaked across the distance like a falling star, arriving before the withered demon in the blink of an eye.

At this critical juncture between life and death, the gaunt demon was prepared. With a swift incantation, he activated a small, pitch-black bell. The artifact emitted a shimmering curtain of light that enveloped him, deflecting Eldrin Chen's lethal flying sword with a resonant clang.

"A defensive demonic artifact."

Eldrin Chen's gaze flickered. This small bell was actually also a First Rank High Grade defensive demonic artifact [an enchanted item used by demonic cultivators for protection]. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a sliver of relief.

It was fortunate he hadn't used the final strike of the Solar Flame Sword against this foe. With a high-grade defensive demonic artifact, this gaunt Demonic Cultivator could have withstood the Solar Flame Sword's full-powered assault.

Had that happened, failing to kill him, Eldrin Chen would have been left vulnerable against the combined attacks of one Qi Refinement Ninth Layer and two late-stage Qi RefinementDemonic Cultivator.

"Brat, prepare to die!"

The battle unfolded in a heartbeat. The burly Demonic Cultivator struck at the same moment.

As the strongest of the trio, even with his blood shield shattered and his defensive artifact lost, this demon was not to be underestimated.

He channeled his energy into a flying sword brimming with baleful aura, transforming it into a streak of sword-light that cleaved through the air towards Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen stood his ground without fear. Activating the Cyan Small Shield in his hand, he conjured a shield of light that effortlessly parried the flying sword's attack.

The Cyan Small Shield was a masterwork artifact. Previously, a Qi Refinement Seventh LayerDemonic Cultivator had used it to block two of Eldrin Chen's flying swords, a testament to its exceptional defensive prowess.

Now that this treasure had fallen into the hands of Eldrin Chen, its power, when fueled by his cultivation at the Qi Refinement Ninth Layer [the ninth and final stage of Qi Refinement], surged by more than fifty percent the moment he wielded it, naturally placing him in an unassailable position.

Relying on his profound reserves of True Qi [the refined energy cultivated by a practitioner] and the formidable power of this defensive magical tool, Eldrin Chen not only held his own against two opponents but actually gained the upper hand in the clash.

After roughly a quarter of an hour of fierce combat, the gaunt old man, seeing the glow of his defensive demonic artifact dimming under the relentless assault of the Golden Light Blade, could hold out no longer. He shot a desperate glance at the burly Demonic Cultivator.

"If this continues, we are both doomed."

"If you have any other tricks, use them now!"

Upon hearing this, the burly Demonic Cultivator's expression turned icy.

His eyes glinted with cold intent as he summoned a pinpoint of golden radiance and hurled it directly at Eldrin Chen.

"Golden Ray Heart-Locking Needle [a specialized needle-type magical tool designed to pierce defensive shields and disrupt the heart meridian]!"

The instant he glimpsed that golden gleam, Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted. He not only pushed his shield's protective light to its maximum intensity but also instantly activated a Golden Armor Talisman [a talisman that conjures a suit of protective golden armor].

The Golden Ray Heart-Locking Needle is a special type of First Rank High Grade [the highest grade within the First Rank] magical tool. Although needle-type tools like this are not renowned for raw destructive force, they excel at penetrating defensive shield-lights, their effectiveness in this regard often being unparalleled.

As expected, the golden streak of light shot into the air with a sharp *whoosh*, hurtling directly toward him. Even the shield-light of the Cyan Light Shield [a defensive magical artifact that projects a cyan barrier] could not withstand it, pierced clean through as a tiny hole appeared in its surface.

Fortunately, the Golden Armor Talisman [a protective talisman that manifests a suit of golden armor] proved its extraordinary worth. It transformed into a suit of radiant golden armor that encased Eldrin Chen, miraculously blocking the Golden Ray Heart-Locking Needle [a sinister needle-type weapon designed to pierce the heart and lock the victim's vitality].

In that moment of peril, Eldrin Chen had no time for anything else. His first instinct was to summon the blade embryo. With a decisive strike, he sent the Golden Ray Heart-Locking Needle clattering to the ground, its sinister glow dimmed and extinguished. For more chapters, visit audio-novel-dot-com for the complete novel.