Chapter 1266 : The Halberd's Final Stand

The Suwei Heavenly Halberd [a legendary weapon of immense power] erupted violently, shattering into countless fragments that swept across heaven and earth. The terrifying shockwave alone flattened the sky for hundreds of thousands of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters].

And this was with the Cosmic Stellar Formation [a grand celestial array] suppressing the void; otherwise, the force of this single strike would have been enough to level mountains and rivers across tens of millions of Li-lengths.

"How ruthless," Eldrin Chen thought, a flicker of admiration for his opponent's resolve passing through his mind. "Had I not possessed the Polarity Void Mirror [a defensive treasure that manipulates opposing forces], I would have suffered grievous wounds."

Eldrin Chen inwardly sighed, his estimation of Patriarch Suwei rising a notch.

Within that Suwei Heavenly Halberd, Patriarch Suwei had concealed a treacherous contingency—a deeply hidden imprint of Oblivion Rule [a law of absolute annihilation] power. At the critical moment, its self-destruction could unleash force several times greater than his own full-powered strike.

Disregarding his own injuries, Patriarch Suwei had activated the halberd twice in succession. The first time, he had merely displayed the ordinary might of a Supreme-Grade Immortal Treasure [a peak-tier enchanted artifact], making it seem like a desperate, final blow not worth undue concern.

Then, just as Eldrin Chen moved to deliver the finishing strike and Patriarch Suwei activated it a second time, sending the Suwei Heavenly Halberd reversing its course with lethal intent, Eldrin Chen found it too late to evade. He had no choice but to meet the blow head-on.

Were it not for the Polarity Void Mirror shielding Eldrin Chen, any ordinary Half-Step Earth Immortal [a cultivator on the verge of attaining Earth Immortal status] would have perished then and there.

"Hahaha!"

Witnessing how even the self-destruction of his Heavenly Halberd [a divine polearm weapon] had failed to slay Eldrin Chen, Patriarch Suwei let out a bitter, ragged laugh. Your portal to cultivation novels: site: audio-novel.com.

His physical body was grievously wounded by the Polarity Dual Poles Pearl [a powerful treasure that harnesses opposing elemental forces], then pierced through by the combined strike of the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords [a pair of legendary swords], and further ravaged by the backlash from the self-destruction of the Suwei Heavenly Halberd [a divine weapon]. His injuries were now catastrophically severe.

At this moment, he had no means left to turn the tide. He merely looked at Eldrin Chen with a bitter, twisted smile and said, "In my lifetime, I have Slaughter [slaughtered] countless beings. It is only fitting that I face this tribulation today."

"But since you have now entered this tribulation, you will ultimately end up like me, destined to fall into the Reincarnation [the endless cycle of death and rebirth]."

"The Great Tribulation [the cosmic cataclysm that reshapes eras] is boundless. All immortals vie for supremacy, yet aside from the protagonist of that Great Tribulation, the entire host of celestial beings shall turn to dust."

"You, even with your Extraordinary [peerless] talent, are but a speck of dust before a figure like the Lord of Western Abyss Dragon Palace [the sovereign ruler of the Western Abyssal Dragon Court]."

"Hahaha!" Patriarch Suwei laughed maniacally, his voice tinged with madness. "I shall await you in the Depths of the Netherworld [the deepest, most forsaken layers of the underworld]!"

In response to Patriarch Suwei's words, Eldrin Chen's expression remained as calm and unshakable as still water.

He watched Patriarch Suwei in silence, finally speaking with serene finality. "You were a worthy opponent. Yet, you cannot perceive the threads of my destiny."

"This one shall ascend the Great Path [the ultimate Dao of cultivation]. Whether you undergo Reincarnation for a hundred lifetimes, a thousand, or ten thousand times ten thousand, I shall remain, achieving Immortality [eternal existence] within the River of Space-Time [the flowing continuum of time and space]."

"A million ages hence, if you chant my name with reverence, you may yet attain the Immortality you seek."

Confident in Extraordinary, Eldrin Chen channeled his power. With a mere crossing motion of the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords, he had already annihilated the Immortal Embryo [the nascent form of an immortal's true self] of Patriarch Suwei.

In that fleeting Ksana-time, the myriad Path Principles [the fundamental laws governing reality and cultivation] of heaven and earth manifested. Within the flesh of Patriarch Suwei, billions of divine chains of Path Principles shattered and scattered, dissolving into the primal essence of the Great Path [the ultimate, all-encompassing Dao] and vanishing into the cosmos.

Countless illusory showers of light erupted from his Immortal Body [the perfected, indestructible physical form of an immortal]. Even his Immortal Body began to disintegrate under the cyclical rules of heaven and earth, reverting to its most fundamental energies and fading away.

When all was done, only faint phantom imprints of rules remained between heaven and earth. These were White Tiger Patriarch's profound insights into the Path Principles of the Great Path, left behind in this place by the Heavenly Path [the celestial manifestation of the Dao's will].

Then, from the boundless Heavenly Vault [the dome of the highest heavens], a single strand of primal essence descended. It was infinitesimally small, yet of unparalleled purity.

This strand of primal essence fell from the Nine Heavens [the nine layers of the celestial realm], intertwining with the lingering Great Path insights left by White Tiger Patriarch. Finally, they coalesced into a single, brilliantly radiant Path Source [a condensed crystallization of profound Dao comprehension].

"A Supreme-Grade Path Source,"

Eldrin Chen murmured, reaching out to grasp the Supreme-Grade Path Source.

This Supreme-Grade Path Source from Patriarch Suwei contained his comprehension of the Rule Power [the power to command natural laws] inherent to Venus Metallic Gold. It represented the greatest harvest from slaying Patriarch Suwei.

Storing this Path Source, Eldrin Chen then moved to suppress the Heavenly Might Token and the Heavenly Wheel Mirror. After collecting the remaining possessions of Patriarch Suwei, he finally turned his gaze towards the other battlefields.

By this point in the great battle, the scales of fortune on several fronts had begun to tilt decisively.

With the aid of the Cosmic Stellar Formation [a grand battle formation that channels the power of the stars], the forces of the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance had gained the upper hand.

Sun Consort possessed extraordinary power, wielding a World-Opening Treasure [a supreme artifact of immense power capable of shaping reality] known as the 'Great Sun Heavenly Wheel' [a blazing wheel of solar essence]. Relying on this formidable treasure, she had driven the Supple Wood Azure Dragon Patriarch [an ancient and powerful dragon lord of the verdant wood element] into a steady retreat.

Star Consort and Verdant Consort, facing off against Blue Jade Heavenly Dragon and the Golden Dragon Patriarch, had also begun to gain a subtle advantage.

Exquisite Jiang had utterly suppressed Bright Ao, battering him until he was grievously wounded and sent flying.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen did not hesitate for a moment. He instantly activated the fusion of the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords, transforming them into a single, dazzling Immortal Radiance [a transcendent, sword-shaped beam of pure destructive light] that cleaved downward with overwhelming force. Join our community of readers at http://www . audio-novel.com.

Bright Ao was no match for Verdant Consort to begin with, and once surrounded, he had no chance to fight back. In barely a dozen exchanges, he was bisected by a single stroke from Eldrin Chen's sword.

"My fate ends here!"

Mortally wounded, Bright Ao let out a final, agonized cry. He attempted to flee by ejecting his Immortal Embryo [the nascent, immortal spiritual core of a high-level cultivator, which can escape to seek rebirth], but Exquisite Jiang was ready. She unleashed her Five-Colored Divine Light [a radiant, five-hued light with immense binding and destructive power] to ensnare it, then ended his existence with a decisive sword strike.

Witnessing Bright Ao's body dissolve into the fundamental energies of the cosmos [a phenomenon called 'transforming into the Dao'], the three True Dragon Patriarchs immediately paled.

The Supple Wood Azure Dragon Patriarch [a powerful dragon demon lord] fought with desperate fury, yet was sent flying, blood spraying from its wounds. Struggling for survival, it roared in anguish.

"Bright Ao, you have doomed me!"

But no matter how great its rage, it was ultimately futile.

Once Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang were free to act, the three True Dragon Patriarch [powerful clan leaders] were powerless to turn the tide. They were slain at the edge of the Returning Abyss Sea Region.

These three Half-Step Earth Immortal [cultivators on the cusp of the Earth Immortal realm] were high-ranking figures of Thousand Dragon Lake, beings accustomed to lofty positions.

They had been entreated by Bright Ao to come and assist, believing they were merely to eliminate a typical Half-Step Earth Immortal combatant. Little did they expect to meet their end so bewilderingly in this Tribulation [a cataclysmic conflict or heavenly trial].

"It is done."

With the three Half-Step Earth Immortal slain, the remaining Demon Immortal [immortal-level demons] and Demon Race Path Soldiers [elite demonic warriors] were merely struggling in their death throes.

Before long, they too were utterly annihilated, reduced to mere motes of dust within the vastness of the Great Tribulation [the grand cosmic calamity].

With the Suwei Horde of Demons pacified, Eldrin Chen surveyed the Human Race [the human cultivators] present. Among the several Half-Step Earth Immortal combatants, only Verdant Consort and Star Consort had sustained minor injuries.

Among the several dozen Immortal [powerful beings who have transcended mortality], only a few, such as the Black Tortoise Patriarch and the Lord of the Path Palace, sustained significant injuries. The rest suffered, at most, only minor wounds.

Thinking this, he let out a soft sigh of relief. He distributed a recovery elixir [a pill that restores vitality and heals wounds] to the injured Verdant Consort and others, then addressed the assembly: "Esteemed allies, this battle is a complete victory. You have all fought valiantly."

"Not at all, not at all," the gathered Immortals replied with smiles. The Kunpeng Great Sage spoke up: "The greatest credit for this triumph undoubtedly belongs to our Alliance Leader."

Upon hearing this, all the Immortals nodded in agreement. Even the Sun Consort could not help but regard Eldrin Chen with newfound respect.

In this conflict, the combat prowess Eldrin Chen displayed was truly staggering. Even a formidable opponent like Patriarch Suwei, a Demon Immortal [a demonic being who has achieved immortality] of the sixth tribulation, was suppressed by Eldrin Chen from beginning to end, a testament to his overwhelming strength.

It must be noted that even the Sun Consort, who wielded a World-Opening Treasure [a legendary artifact of immense power capable of shaping reality], would not have been confident of easily defeating Patriarch Suwei.

"His power," she mused, "may not yet rival that of a Seven Tribulations Immortal, but even two ordinary Sixth Rank Immortal joining forces would likely struggle to best him."

With this thought in mind, the Sun Consort offered a graceful smile and said, "With power such as yours, Master Chen, it seems we may dare to contemplate a more proactive strategy for this coming Great Tribulation [a cataclysmic era of conflict and upheaval], and perhaps even seize the Opportunity and Fortune [profound benefits and destiny-altering chances] hidden within its chaos." For the best reading experience, visit audio novel.com.