Chapter 22 : Fiery Sword of Solar Justice

"Clang—" [the sharp, metallic sound of a sword being drawn or striking]

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

It was Eldrin Chen, activating the formation and unleashing the Formation Artifact Solar Flame Sword. His strike was decisive and ruthless, aiming first to eliminate the weakest among the three—the middle-aged woman.

The woman's cultivation was merely at the Vital Essence Refinement 7th Tier [the seventh stage of refining one's vital life force]. Panicking at the sight, she hastily summoned a black silk kerchief, a defensive magical instrument, hoping to block the blow.

Yet the Solar Flame Sword possessed overwhelming power, a force even Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier [the ninth and peak stage of Vital Essence Refinement] cultivators 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 blazing solar energy.

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

In that desperate moment, the burly middle-aged man reacted. He threw forth a small, blood-red shield. It expanded, conjuring a crimson barrier of light that intercepted the fiery strike.

This was a top-grade, first-rank Demonic Path [a cultivation method that harnesses dark, often malevolent energies] magical instrument, forged and empowered by refining the life essence of countless mortals. The barrier it produced was formidably resilient. Even after blocking the full force of the Solar Flame Sword, its glow only dimmed by forty or fifty percent.

Seeing his initial attack thwarted, Eldrin Chen did not hesitate. He channeled his spiritual energy once more, sending the Solar Flame Sword sweeping down in another devastating arc.

As a Formation Artifact [an enchanted object designed to anchor and power a formation], the Solar Flame Sword [a sword that channels the power of the sun's dawn light] could only unleash nine strikes after accumulating a decade's worth of morning radiance, making each blow naturally and astonishingly powerful.

As the second streak of sword light descended, the blood-red shield aura shattered with a resounding crack, forcing the three Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use unorthodox and often malevolent methods to cultivate power] to scatter in a frantic, scrambling retreat.

"A Pure Yang Formation Artifact [an enchanted object designed to anchor and power a formation]," one of them gasped in recognition.

The hulking Demonic Cultivator [practitioner who uses unorthodox and often malevolent methods to cultivate power] wore a grim expression, his heart aching as he looked at his severely damaged blood shield. Gritting his teeth, he produced a talisman.

This talisman was known as the Six Ghosts Talisman [a one-use talisman that unleashes six powerful malevolent spirits]. It was sealed with six malevolent ghosts, each at the Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [the final phase of refining one's foundational life force]. Because crafting it required exceptional materials and the capture of six such powerful ghosts, even Zhang the Old Demon possessed only one or two of them.

Although its value was less than that of a reusable treasure like the Seven-Soul Malevolent Ghost Banner [a banner that can summon and control seven powerful ghostly souls], this disposable Six Ghosts Talisman [a one-use talisman that unleashes six powerful malevolent spirits] could be nearly as effective in a critical moment.

As the six Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage [final phase of refining one's foundational life force] malevolent ghosts surged forth, Eldrin Chen immediately furrowed his brow in concern.

If these six ghosts were allowed to rampage unchecked, the Spiritual Field [a field cultivated with plants that absorb and thrive on ambient spiritual energy] and the Spirit Goose [a type of goose that has absorbed spiritual energy, making its flesh and feathers valuable] on Lake Heart Island would be in peril, and even the two siblings would face grave danger.

Without a moment's hesitation, Eldrin acted. He summoned the Solar Flame Sword [a sword that channels the power of the sun's dawn light] and, in a dazzling flurry, unleashed six consecutive sword strikes. Each ghost was cleaved apart, their forms dissolving into nothingness.

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

After annihilating the six spectral fiends, Eldrin Chen cast his gaze upon 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 misty clouds, given time, they would undoubtedly regroup.

In that fleeting moment of thought, Eldrin Chen's pupils narrowed with a cold glint.

"Injuring all ten fingers is less effective than severing one."

"Cleave—!"

With decisive finality, he unleashed another sword strike, aiming directly for the female cultivator, who possessed the weakest cultivation base among them.

Her cultivation was the most feeble, and having her demonic artifact destroyed had inflicted a severe backlash, leaving her heavily wounded.

Now, as the Solar Flame Sword descended upon her once more, stark terror contorted her features. In her panic, she could only muster a defensive magical trident, but both she and her weapon were cleaved in two.

"Ah—!"

A scream, abruptly cut short, echoed across the island. The other two Demon God [powerful demonic cultivators] paled in horror and immediately rushed toward the source of the sound, converging together at the first possible moment.

The two men exchanged a glance at the bisected beautiful woman, their pupils contracting sharply before sharing a look of profound fear.

At the same moment, Eldrin Chen cast a look at his Solar Flame Sword and could not help but frown. After that single strike, the accumulated power of the morning glow within the sword was utterly spent. Even the mist conjured by the Mist Veil was beginning to dissipate.

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

Setting down the formation disk, Eldrin Chen surged forward to meet the two demonic cultivators.

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

This was a first-rank upper-grade Demonic Treasure [an enchanted artifact forged with demonic energy]. 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.

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 circulate his True Qi [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body] and commanded the Golden Light Blade to shoot forth, aiming directly for the gaunt elder's skull.

The flying sword was blindingly fast. The Golden Light Blade shot forward like a meteor, closing the distance to the gaunt old demon in an instant.

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

"A defensive demonic artifact."

Eldrin Chen's gaze flickered. This small bell was actually also a first-rank upper-grade defensive demonic artifact [a magical item crafted by demonic cultivators, often imbued with sinister energies]. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel a surge of relief.

It was fortunate he hadn't used the Solar Flame Sword's final strike against this foe. With a superior-grade defensive demonic artifact, this gaunt Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who cultivates using unorthodox, often malevolent methods] could have withstood the Solar Flame Sword's full-powered assault.

Had that happened and failed to kill him, facing the combined attacks of one Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier [the ninth and penultimate stage of refining one's vital life force] and two Vital Essence Refinement Late Stage Demonic Cultivator would have placed him in a perilously passive position.

"Brat, prepare to die!"

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

As the strongest among the trio, this demon, though his blood shield had been shattered and his defensive artifact lost, remained a formidable threat 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 soared through the air to cleave down upon Eldrin Chen.

Eldrin Chen showed not a trace of fear. The Cyan Small Shield in his hand unfurled a radiant shield of light, effortlessly parrying the flying sword's attack.

The Cyan Small Shield was a masterwork artifact. Previously, a Vital Essence Refinement 7th Tier Demonic Cultivator had been able to rely on it to withstand the assault of two of Eldrin Chen's flying swords, a testament to its exceptional defensive capabilities.

Now that this treasure had fallen into the hands of Eldrin Chen, its power, when channeled by his Vital Essence Refinement 9th Tier cultivation base, surged by more than fifty percent, placing him firmly in an unassailable position.

Relying on his profound True Qi and the formidable power of this defensive magical treasure, Eldrin Chen not only held his own against two opponents but actually gained the upper hand.

After a quarter of an hour [Time for an incense stick to burn] of fierce battle, the gaunt old man, seeing the glow of his defensive demonic artifact dimming under the relentless assault of the Golden Light Blade, could endure no longer and cast a desperate glance at the hulking Demonic Cultivator.

"If this continues, we are both doomed."

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

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

His eyes glinted coldly as he summoned a mote of golden radiance and hurled it towards Eldrin Chen.

"Golden Ray Heart-Locking Needle!"

The moment he saw the golden glint, Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted. He not only pushed his shield's radiance to its absolute limit but also instantly activated his Golden Armor Talisman.

The Golden Ray Heart-Locking Needle was a special First-Rank Upper-Grade magical weapon. While such needle-type artifacts were not overwhelmingly powerful in raw force, they excelled at piercing defensive shield radiances, their efficacy often proving exceptionally potent.

As expected, the golden radiance soared into the air and shot towards him with a sharp *whoosh*. Even the shield-light of the Cyan Light Shield [a magical shield emitting a cyan glow] could not withstand it, being pierced clean through, leaving a small hole.

Fortunately, the effect of the Golden Armor Talisman [a protective talisman that manifests golden armor] was Baelon [exceptional]. It transformed into a suit of golden armor that enveloped Eldrin Chen, miraculously blocking the Golden Ray Heart-Locking Needle [a sinister needle that seeks the heart with a golden ray].

In that moment of crisis, Eldrin Chen had no time for anything else. He immediately summoned the blade embryo, striking the Golden Ray Heart-Locking Needle and causing its glow to dim before it clattered to the ground.