Chapter 19 : The Blazing Sun's Judgment

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

In the sky, Grand Elder activated the Blazing Sun Divine Fire Formation, his snow-white hair and beard whipping wildly as a murderous gleam shone in his eyes.

"Audacious evil demons, still daring to run rampant!"

"Behold my Solar Trueflame!"

As his words fell, the Solar Trueflame Pearl atop the Heavenly Vault erupted with incomparably brilliant radiance.

A pure stream of Solar Trueflame descended from the heavens, illuminating the pitch-black night and enveloping several Demonic Cultivator within its light.

"Ahhh—!"

The agonized screams of the Demonic Cultivator filled the air. Before this flame specifically designed to counter Demonic Cultivator, even mid to late Foundation Establishment Demonic Cultivator dared not touch it, let alone a mere handful of Vital Essence Refinement Demonic Cultivator.

In the span of a single breath, the several Demonic Cultivator were incinerated into ashes of calamity. Even the Blood-Transforming Demon Saber, a Demonic Treasure, was refined and purified.

Its demonic energy was utterly burned away, and its ferocious blood-qi melted like ice and snow before the Solar Trueflame. Only the pure material of the Millennial Crimson Iron remained.

"Huff..."

Eldrin Chen gasped for breath, his expression grave as he stared at the Blood-Transforming Demon Saber [a sinister blade that feeds on and transforms blood into demonic power], unable to suppress a look of deep apprehension.

"A Demonic Treasure [an enchanted artifact forged with malevolent energies] of merely the Second Rank Lower Grade [the lowest tier within the second major rank of magical treasures], yet it possesses such formidable power."

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

None among them had anticipated that these Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who harness dark, corrupting energies for power] would wield a Second-Order Demonic Treasure, nearly catching them completely off guard.

"They are Zhang the Old Demon's men."

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

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

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

Hearing this, the Grand Elder spoke with a heavy tone, "Three years ago, when escorting the Foundation Establishment Pill [a precious elixir that aids in solidifying a cultivator's foundation], our Patriarch was ambushed and besieged by several Foundation Establishment Cultivator [practitioners who have solidified their spiritual foundation, a major milestone]."

"Zhang the Old Demon was also involved in that affair. In that battle, the Patriarch destroyed his Demonic Treasure [a magical artifact forged and bound to a demonic cultivator's life force]. It seems he is now preparing to forge a new one."

Eldrin Chen nodded slightly upon hearing this. After all, the Patriarch was one of only three cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage [the advanced phase of the second major realm of cultivation] in all of Yu County, ranking among the top three even among the county's twenty-plus Foundation Establishment Cultivator [practitioners who have solidified their cultivation foundation].

With his level of cultivation, even when besieged by multiple Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he still managed to slay one of them. Zhang the Old Demon's attempt to ambush him amidst the chaos naturally did not end well.

In truth, during that battle, Zhang the Old Demon's Demonic Treasure was destroyed, and he nearly met his end at the hands of Alistair Chen. He only escaped with his life by employing the Blood Evasion Great Art [a forbidden technique that consumes one's lifeblood to achieve a burst of extreme speed].

It was precisely because of this that Zhang the Old Demon was thoroughly cowed after the battle. Even knowing Patriarch Alistair Chen was severely wounded, he still dared not confront the Chen Immortal Clan directly.

"That seems about right."

Dorian Chen stroked his long beard, his gaze resting on the saber blank with a hint of delight.

"To forge a Demonic Treasure like the Blood-Transforming Demon Saber [a demonic saber forged through the sacrifice and refinement of living blood, accruing immense karmic debt], one is destined to bear a tremendous burden of karmic retribution."

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

Upon hearing this, the others also revealed faint smiles.

This Blood-Transforming Demon Saber is forged from exceptionally Baelon materials; the Millennial Crimson Iron used to form its blade core is itself a rare and precious natural treasure [a material born from heaven and earth, possessing unique spiritual properties].

Now, the Blood-Transforming Demon Saber has had its blood-fiend aura completely purged by the Blazing Sun Divine Fire Formation, transforming it into a pure magical artifact [an enchanted object used by cultivators]. Although its power has diminished significantly, it can still be considered a quasi-Second-Rank Magical Artifact.

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

"Otherwise…"

Dorian Chen spoke, then sighed once more.

This Second-Order precious iron, if placed in the hands of a skilled artifact-forging master who inscribes it with Second-Order forging arrays, could at the very least be refined into a genuine Second-Rank Magical Artifact.

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned his gaze to Eldrin Chen. "In the recent battle, your flying sword clashed directly with a Demonic Treasure [a powerful artifact infused with demonic energy], severely damaging its spiritual essence. 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 reserve it for the Patriarch?"

Dorian Chen shook his head. "For the Patriarch, a quasi-Second-Rank Magical Artifact is of almost no use. For you, however, it would greatly amplify your combat prowess."

"Moreover, should you have the fortune to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm in the future, you could melt this item down and use the Millennial Crimson Iron to forge your Lifebound Magical Treasure [a powerful artifact intimately connected to a cultivator's life force and cultivation path]."

As the eldest cultivator in the Chen Family besides the patriarch, Dorian Chen commanded immense respect among the clan.

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

"Within our family, your talent is the greatest. The clan's future rests upon your shoulders."

"Take it. With this blade in hand, you will have another means to deal with any Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use malevolent, often soul-consuming methods to advance their cultivation] you might encounter."

"Besides, doesn't the clan still owe you over two hundred Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation]? Consider this a repayment of that debt."

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

He caressed it almost reverently, unable to put it down, before finally storing it away with a smile.

"Let this be valued at one thousand five hundred clan Merits [a metaphysical "currency" representing good karma or virtuous deeds, often used within sects and clans]."

"It works out perfectly. My Spiritual Peach [a mystical fruit imbued with spiritual energy, often used in alchemy or to aid cultivation] trees are now bearing fruit for the clan stores, generating a steady stream of Merits I had no immediate use for."

The Second Rank Mid-Grade Lifebound Magical Treasure of the Patriarch was sold for only two thousand Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] back then. An ordinary Second Rank Lower Grade magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] would only cost around one thousand Spirit Stones.

However, this particular embryo was extraordinary. Millennial Crimson Iron [a rare, high-quality iron ore imbued with fire-aspected spiritual energy over millennia] is a top-tier Second-Order [a classification for materials or beings at the second major stage of cultivation] forging material. Valuing it at one thousand five hundred was considered quite reasonable.

The Spiritual Peach [a mystical fruit that enhances cultivation and extends lifespan] he would produce annually in the future would contribute thirty pieces to the Clan Treasury [the central repository for a clan's wealth and resources]. This amounted to one hundred fifty Merits [a metaphysical "currency" representing good karma or virtuous deeds within a clan] each year. In roughly ten years, he could settle this debt.

With a few words exchanged, the group allocated this precious treasure among themselves, then turned their gazes towards the others present.

Although the Chen Family had slain several Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use malevolent, often sacrificial, methods to advance their cultivation] in this battle, they had not emerged unscathed. They had suffered greatly from the Blood-Transforming Demon Saber [a cursed blade that feeds on blood and life force to empower itself].

In this engagement, Silas Han had caught them off guard. That single demonic saber unleashed terrifying power, claiming the lives of three Chen Family cultivators in an alarmingly short time. Four or five others sustained serious injuries.

Compensating the families of the fallen and covering the healing expenses for the wounded would now constitute a significant financial burden.

After some discussion, it was decided that injured cultivators would receive a bonus equivalent to one to ten years of their stipend, depending on the severity of their wounds.

As for the three cultivators who had perished, their descendants would be granted three hundred to five hundred family Merits, based on the deceased's cultivation level. If a descendant lacked a Spiritual Root [the innate spiritual foundation that determines one's potential for cultivation], the Merit would be held in an account. Should a future descendant awaken a Spiritual Root, the Merit would then be transferred to them.

Eldrin Chen understood that these measures were absolutely necessary. If there were no compensation for those who died fighting for the family, who would be willing to risk their lives for it in the future?

If a cultivation family fails to uphold this principle, its people's hearts will inevitably scatter over time, becoming like loose sand, destined to vanish like smoke upon the wind.

The Chen Immortal Clan has existed for hundreds of years, and its cohesion has never been weak; naturally, it would not be blind to this truth.

Furthermore, considering the family's Clan Treasury was now depleted and Merits could not be exchanged for Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] or supplies, Eldrin Chen and several other Elder pooled together over one hundred Spirit Stone to provide an advance on the compensation funds for the bereaved families.