Chapter 45 : Ambush at the Blazing Sun Formation

Seeing that he could not immediately subdue Chen Thalion, Hong Morgrim cast a cold glance towards Zhang Vorgath.

"Zhang Morgrim, the three of us will keep this old fool occupied. You go assist Zuo Darius in breaking that formation. Once it falls, we shall combine our strength as five to shatter this old turtle's shell for good."

"Understood."

Zhang Vorgath agreed readily, then flew with a sneer towards the Blazing Solar Skyfire Formation.

Gazing at the group maintaining the formation, he scoffed, "Your Chen Clan's formation was breached by this old man once before. To dare deploy it again is nothing but a quest for your own demise."

As he spoke, he summoned his black banner magical treasure, unleashing a slash of dark, cutting energy towards the formation.

At that very moment, Eldrin Chen, hidden among the crowd, made his move. With a flick of his wrist, the Green Ape Pearl transformed into a colossal sphere of immense weight and hurtled towards Zhang Vorgath.

Caught completely off guard, the demonic cultivator hastily redirected his banner's attack towards the oncoming pearl. The two forces collided mid-air, erupting in a dazzling burst of light.

In the blink of an eye, Eldrin Chen struck again. The Crimson Iron Sword Embryo shot into the sky as a brilliant streak of sword light. Its speed rivaling the chase of stars across the heavens, it arrived almost simultaneously with the pearl's impact, cleaving towards the elder demon.

With no room to dodge, Zhang Vorgath desperately conjured a Mana Shield [a protective barrier formed from concentrated magical energy]. This desperate defense bought him a fleeting moment, saving his life at the cost of one of his arms, which was severed cleanly by the sword radiance. Continue your cultivation journey at audio—novel.com.

"Agh—!"

Struck by the sudden, devastating blow, Zhang Vorgath let out a wretched scream and crashed to the ground, his combat strength momentarily extinguished.

With his ambush successful, Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy. He channeled his will, and the sword radiance shifted. The resplendent Crimson Iron Sword Embryo descended from the void, aiming to deliver a fatal strike to the fallen Zhang Vorgath.

Yet, in that very instant, the battle's tide shifted once more. That Zuo Zhouqi summoned a fiery crimson blade-light. With a resonant *clang*, it cleaved through the Blazing Solar Skyfire Formation.

Having shattered the formation, he wasted no time pursuing the injured elders. Instead, he directed that blazing blade aura to intercept Eldrin Chen's descending sword embryo.

"That is... the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade!"

Upon seeing that fiery crimson blade-light, Eldrin Chen's eyes narrowed instantly in recognition.

After all these years, he had never expected to encounter the Life-Bound Magical Treasure [a cultivator's personally forged and soul-bound enchanted artifact] of the Old Patriarch here, of all places.

"The Lin Clan," he whispered, the name a cold realization.

In a flash, his eyes hardened with understanding. The ones who had purchased the Old Patriarch's magical tool all those years ago were none other than the Lin Clan, the foremost of Yu County's Six Great Foundation Establishment Immortal Clans.

Although the six great immortal clans competed amongst themselves, they were considered to be of one breath and one branch [a Chinese idiom meaning closely united] in their struggle against the demonic beasts. Eldrin Chen truly could not fathom that the Lin Clan would actually sell this magical tool to an enemy of the Chen Clan.

Having missed the chance for a single, fatal strike, Zhang Vorgath urgently swallowed a pill to temporarily suppress his injuries and rejoined the fray. He joined forces with Zuo Zhouqi to jointly besiege Eldrin Chen.

Facing two opponents alone, Eldrin Chen did not fall behind in the slightest.

Zuo Zhouqi's strength was lacking; aside from his Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, his other methods were of little concern.

Although Zhang Vorgath was at the Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage, he possessed only a single Demonic Treasure [an artifact forged with malevolent energy]. Now grievously wounded, his power had been reduced by more than half, making him even less of a threat than Zuo Zhouqi at this moment.

After more than thirty exchanges between the three, Eldrin Chen continuously activated his two magical tools, actually pressing his two opponents back. Finally, Zuo Zhouqi could endure no longer. He retrieved a Spirit Talisman [a paper or jade slip inscribed with a pre-stored spell] from his Storage Bag.

As soon as the Talisman was invoked, a surge of Dao fire [flames imbued with profound spiritual principle] erupted, soaring through the air to engulf its target.

"Azure Spirit True Flame Talisman [a high-grade talisman that conjures azure spiritual flames of great purity and potency]!"

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly. This Azure Spirit True Flame Talisman was a Second Rank High Grade Talisman, one of the treasured foundations hoarded by the Zuo Clan.

The power of this object was extraordinary. If activated by a cultivator at the mid or late stages of Foundation Establishment, it could even pose a threat to those at the Foundation Establishment, Late Stage.

Due to his insufficient cultivation, Zuo Zhouqi could only unleash seventy percent of this talisman's power, yet it was still terrifyingly potent. An ordinary Foundation Establishment, Mid Stage cultivator, caught off guard, would be incinerated to ashes.

The moment he saw this talisman, Eldrin Chen's expression turned grave. Without hesitation, he channeled his power and hurled the Green Ape Pearl forward.

His True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by a practitioner] was profound and razor-sharp, allowing the Green Ape Pearl in his hands to unleash power far surpassing its ordinary limits. It instantly shattered thirty percent of the Azure Spirit True Flame's might, then expanded its cyan light barrier once more, blocking another forty percent of the searing blaze.

However, the Azure Spirit True Flame Talisman lived up to its reputation as a Second Rank High Grade Talisman [a pre-charged magical scroll that releases a specific spell]. It still managed to burn through the cyan barrier, causing the Green Ape Pearl's glow to dim significantly.

After this blow, the Green Ape Pearl had expended a great deal of energy and could not be used again for a short while.

Fearing damage to the Green Ape Pearl, Eldrin Chen swiftly retrieved it with practiced speed. He then activated the Bell of Nine Echoes, enveloping himself completely within the phantom form of a great bell. This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio-novel`com.

The remaining power of the Azure Spirit True Flame was now insufficient and ultimately failed to breach the defenses of the Bell of Nine Echoes.

Having withstood the assault of the azure talisman, it was now Eldrin Chen's turn to counterattack. Sheltered beneath the Bell of Nine Echoes and impervious to their strikes, he pressed his assault, driving the Crimson Iron Sword Embryo forward and overwhelming both opponents with a relentless barrage.

After another hundred exchanges, Zuo Zhouqi's cultivation proved inadequate. Having repeatedly activated the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, a Second Rank Middle Grade magical weapon, and expended the Azure Spirit True Flame Talisman, his mana was now nearly depleted.

Seeing the moment was ripe, Eldrin Chen struck decisively. With a deft flick of his sword, he parried the opponent's defensive treasure, the Golden Light Shield, and pierced straight through his chest, leaving a deep, cavernous wound.

"Zhouqi!"

Witnessing Zuo Zhouqi hanging between life and death, Zuo Mingxu's aged eyes brimmed with tears, his heart flooded with regret. He channeled his energy, sending the Mingxu Sword soaring through the air to strike.

The Mingxu Sword was Zuo Mingxu's Life-Bound Magical Treasure [a cultivator's personally forged and soul-bound enchanted artifact]. When wielded personally by Zuo Mingxu, its power surpassed that of a typical Second Rank Middle Grade [a classification for the quality and power of magical tools and cultivation resources] magical tool by thirty percent. A direct strike from this weapon would likely shatter even the Bell of Nine Echoes.

However, the Old Patriarch was present on the battlefield and would not tolerate such insolence. A cold sneer was heard as Chen Thalion roared.

"Daring to be distracted while facing this old man?"

"*Screech—*"

A resonant sword cry pierced the air, and the famed offensive divine ability, 'Blazing Heaven Sword' [a powerful sword technique manifesting celestial flame], once again manifested within the Vast and Boundless Wilderness.

The Old Patriarch pointed a single finger, unleashing a sword radiance as dazzling as the sun itself into the sky. Its lethal edge forced a look of stark terror onto the faces of all present.

At this critical juncture, Zuo Mingxu could no longer afford to concern himself with Eldrin Chen. He desperately commanded his lifebound immortal sword to intercept the blow, only to watch helplessly as it was sent flying away.

Yet, that momentary block bought him just enough time to react. Hastily, he summoned an ancient bronze-colored pagoda. The small pagoda rotated slightly, unfolding a shimmering defensive barrier around him.

In that instant, the Blazing Heaven Sword [a powerful sword technique that channels celestial fire] clashed against the Ancient Bronze Pagoda [a defensive artifact forged from ancient bronze], unleashing a thunderous roar that seemed to shake the very heavens.

A shockwave rippled outwards, tearing through a hundred Zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] of empty space. When the cataclysm subsided, the Blazing Heaven Sword technique had dissipated into nothingness, while the Ancient Bronze Pagoda now glowed with a dim, flickering light, clearly unable to be used again for some time.

"A Second Rank High Grade defensive magical treasure," the Old Patriarch muttered, his eyes widening with a flash of envy.

It was only because Zuo Mingxu's cultivation was insufficient. Had such a defensive artifact fallen into his own hands, he reckoned it could withstand three or four strikes of the Blazing Heaven Sword before failing—*that* would be a display of truly formidable power.

After all, while the Blazing Heaven Sword's might was immense, its consumption was equally staggering. Even with his Foundation Establishment Seventh Layer cultivation base, the Old Patriarch could not unleash it consecutively.

Having shattered Zuo Mingxu's defensive treasure with a single blow, the three enemies clearly wavered, a flicker of retreat in their eyes.

But the Old Patriarch was swift. Seizing the moment before their resolve could harden, he decisively channeled his energy into the Separated Flame Soul-Burning Formation Flags [a set of flags used to deploy a powerful fire-based formation]. The flags unfurled, their power expanding to ensnare the foes within the confines of the Separated Flame Soul-Burning Grand Formation [a grand formation that uses separated flames to burn the souls of those trapped within].

The formation's barrier solidified around them, cutting off their escape. Trapped within the searing, soul-scorching flames, their fate was now sealed by the Old Patriarch's decisive action. Published by audio-novel . com. All rights reserved.