Chapter 1337 : A Desperate Clash of Immortals

Seeing that he could not break through the Primordial Chaos True Aura [a supreme defensive technique that embodies the primordial essence of creation] and utterly slay Eldrin Chen, the heart of Lord of Thousand Dragon Lake sank ever deeper.

He cast a glance at the battlefield and saw that Blazeforge Ancient Ancestor had already suffered grievous wounds, reduced to merely parrying and delaying.

"Was my choice... wrong?"

Lord of Thousand Dragon Lake murmured to himself. Yet, at this moment, Blazeforge Ancient Ancestor was already severely injured; even if rescued, his combat power would be halved, unable to share much of the pressure.

Such a tremendous sunk cost left him no room to change his decision. "Since it has come to this, we press on to the kill!"

"I refuse to believe that a mere Half-Step Earth Immortal [a cultivator on the very cusp of attaining the Earth Immortal realm] can truly withstand the full assault of us Late Stage Earth Immortal [cultivators who have reached the pinnacle of the Earth Immortal realm]."

With a heart steeled by desperation, Lord of Thousand Dragon Lake launched a relentless, frenzied assault against Eldrin Chen, his eyes blazing with boundless crimson fury, resolved to slay Eldrin Chen at any cost.

"Aaaargh—!"

At that very moment, a piercing shriek tore through the Void [a profound spatial technique], followed by the radiant, all-consuming light of a cultivator's final dissolution into the Dao.

An Earth Immortal Progenitor [a venerable master who has attained the Earth Immortal realm] had fallen. This first to perish was not Blazeforge Ancient Ancestor, but rather the severely wounded Newly Advanced Earth Immortal [a cultivator who had recently broken through to the Earth Immortal realm] from Thousand Dragons Lake. This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio–novel.com.

This True Dragon [a supreme dragon species], having only recently broken through to the Earth Immortal Realm [a realm of power where cultivators become one with the earth's essence], had not yet fully consolidated its foundation when it was grievously wounded by the World-Ending Cannon [a weapon of catastrophic destructive power]. Its combat prowess was thus severely diminished.

After clashing with Earth Spring Ancient Ancestor for several dozen exchanges, it could no longer suppress the injuries within its body. Earth Spring Ancient Ancestor seized this opening and used the White Nether Life-Death Tome [a mystical book that governs the boundary between life and death] to seize its Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and true self of a high-level cultivator].

Its physical body was already critically wounded, and now its Primordial Spirit was captured by a Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact] specifically designed to counter the Divine Soul [the divine aspect of a being's spirit]. Naturally, it possessed no strength left to resist and was instantly suppressed and slain by Earth Spring Ancient Ancestor.

Having slain this Newly Advanced Earth Immortal, Earth Spring Ancient Ancestor immediately acted again, directing the White Nether Life-Death Tome to attack Blazeforge Ancient Ancestor.

The White Nether Life-Death Tome is a Magical Treasure specialized in countering the Divine Soul, though it is merely a Low Grade World Creation Treasure [a treasure capable of creating or influencing a minor world, of the lowest grade]. Had Blazeforge Ancient Ancestor been at his peak, this mere Low Grade World Creation Treasure would have posed little threat.

But at this moment, he was already grievously wounded and besieged by the group to the point of being unable to fight back. The sudden assault from the White Nether Life-Death Tome caused an instant of spiritual disorientation.

In a duel between Earth Immortal Progenitor [progenitors of the Earth Immortal realm], a moment's lapse is fatal.

As the group unleashed their full power, Lyra Jiang used the Five-Colored Divine Radiance [a divine ability manifesting as radiant light of five colors] to seize Blazeforge Ancient Ancestor's Bodyguard Supreme Treasure [his paramount defensive treasure], then activated the Primordial Chaos Qi Grasping Hand [a divine hand technique that manipulates the energy of primordial chaos] to firmly suppress it.

Verdant Consort and Solara likewise acted with their full might in that instant, sealing his escape routes and preventing his two World-Opening Treasure [treasures capable of cleaving open space or worlds] from autonomously protecting their master.

Sky Abyss Dao Lord also struck with his full power, instantly channeling the Sky Abyss Sword [a sword embodying the abyss of the heavens] in a cleaving strike that bisected Blazeforge Ancient Ancestor on the spot.

In that fleeting moment where Life and Death hung in the balance, the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] of Blazeforge Ancient Ancestor flew out, desperate to escape. Ancient Ruins Yin Lord, however, seized the perfect opportunity to strike.

In an instant, the Ethereal Void Formless Sword pierced through the Void, utterly annihilating his Primordial Spirit between heaven and earth. "Alas..."

The fall of an Earth Immortal Sixth Layer [a cultivator at the sixth layer of the Earth Immortal realm] was a sight to shake the heavens and earth, a cataclysmic event of Dao dissolution.

Boundless showers of radiant light erupted, flooding the vast, desolate land. For a time, the Immortal Spirit Qi [the highest grade of spiritual energy, used by Immortals] across the entire Abyssal Sea Region surged dramatically.

"Blazeforge!"

Witnessing the demise of Blazeforge Ancient Ancestor, countless Immortal [beings who have ascended to immortality] among the Demonic Tribe were shaken to their core, their faces etched with shock.

In truth, the loss of a single Earth Immortal Sixth Layer combatant was a grievous wound to Thousand Dragons Lake, but not yet a fatal blow.

However, the liberation of three Ninth Tribulation Immortal [Immortals who have survived nine heavenly tribulations] and two mid-stage Half-Step Earth Immortal [cultivators on the cusp of the Earth Immortal realm] was enough to completely overturn the tide of battle.

Having slain Blazeforge Ancient Ancestor, the group immediately turned their gaze towards Eldrin Chen and Patriarch of the Verdant Stream Ancient Sect. Seeing that the two were not in immediate peril, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Lyra Jiang exchanged a glance with Eldrin Chen and spoke decisively, "First, we eliminate the Demonic Tribe Earth Immortal [cultivators at the Earth Immortal realm]. Then, we surround and slay Lord of Thousand Dragon Lake and his ilk."

"Very well."

Everyone nodded and immediately charged towards the Demonic Tribe Newly Advanced Earth Immortal [a cultivator who has recently ascended to the Earth Immortal realm, a powerful stage of cultivation].

With their combined strength, surrounding and attacking a single Demonic Tribe Early Stage Earth Immortal [a cultivator in the initial phase of the Earth Immortal realm] naturally held no surprises.

Lyra Jiang, Sky Abyss Daoist, and Ancient Ruins Yin Lord struck in succession. Each needed only a single move to slay the foe.

High upon the Firmament, Eldrin Chen witnessed this and immediately declared in a clear, ringing voice, "Blaze Lord of the Celestial Prison, if you do not depart now, you may find the path of retreat forever closed."

"Hmm?" Experience the full epic at audio-novel dot com.

Hearing Eldrin Chen's words, Blaze Lord of the Celestial Prison's eyes chilled slightly. He swept his gaze across the battlefield, and a flicker of grim realization passed within them.

"The tide has turned."

In an instant, the thought echoed in Blaze Lord of the Celestial Prison's heart with a sigh.

The current situation was exceedingly unfavorable for Thousand Dragons Lake. Even if they fought on, shattering the forces of the Abyssal Sea Region would be a near-impossible feat.

After all, suppressed by the Zhou Heavenly Stars Grand Formation [a grand stellar defensive array], they were fighting on hostile ground within the formation. Not only would their combat power be subtly diminished by the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy for defense or attack], but they would also be constantly harassed and assailed by its attacks.

Under such circumstances, even Blaze Lord of the Celestial Prison dared not claim that he could slay the Patriarch of the Verdant Stream Ancient Sect.

Once the few Earth Immortal [progenitors who have ascended to the terrestrial immortal realm] from Thousand Dragon Lake were encircled and killed, three Ninth Tribulation Immortal [immortals who have survived nine heavenly tribulations], one Eight-Calamity Immortal [an immortal who has weathered eight great calamities], one immortal from the Sixfold Heaven and Earth [a legendary realm of six-layered heavens and earths], and four Early Stage Earth Immortal [progenitors in the initial phase of the earth immortal realm] would be freed to join the fray. It was likely they would meet their end. By Blaze Lord of the Celestial Prison's estimation, if the two Late Stage Earth Immortal [progenitors in the advanced phase of the earth immortal realm] fought with all their might, they might hold out until the Mana [the spiritual energy used to fuel spells and techniques] of the several Ninth Tribulation Immortal was depleted, giving them roughly a thirty percent chance of victory.

Moreover, even if they won, it would be a pyrrhic victory, with at least one Seventh Level Earth Immortal [a progenitor at the seventh level of the earth immortal realm] falling in battle. Calculated this way, their odds were truly nine deaths for one life.

An even greater possibility was that they would be slowly trapped and worn down within the Zhou Heavenly Stars Grand Formation, overwhelmed by the enemy's numerical advantage and the formation's power.

Of course, even in defeat, as cornered beasts fighting desperately, the two of them could still easily slay several Earth Immortal from the Abyssal Sea Region.

In a final, desperate struggle, it was even possible they might take down one or two Ninth Tribulation Immortal with them. "He bids me depart."

"He wishes to avoid excessive losses and a victory bought with too much blood." Blaze Lord of the Celestial Prison murmured inwardly, clearly understanding Eldrin Chen's intent.

At this, Blaze Lord of the Celestial Prison also let out a soft sigh, forced to admit that Eldrin Chen's words were a masterstroke of psychological warfare—a stratagem laid bare yet impossible to counter.

Two choices lay before him. One path was to fight to the death, gambling on that thirty percent chance of victory, a victory that would itself feel like surviving nine deaths to grasp a single life.

The other path was to withdraw, to simply ensure one's own survival and escape.

Of these two paths, one was a path of life, the other a desperate battle with nine chances of death and one of survival, ending in mutual destruction and then being surrounded and slain.

Now, the path of life was laid clearly before Blaze Lord of the Celestial Prison. The choice was self-evident.

He was not a native of Dry Dragon Lake; there was no need for him to fight to the death here. Moreover, he needed to return alive to aid the Clan Lord in breaching the Flowing Fire Star Palace.

With this thought, Blaze Lord of the Celestial Prison's gaze steadied slightly, and his decision was made in an instant.

At the same time, the Lord of Dry Dragon Lake, seeing the expression on Blaze Lord of the Celestial Prison's face, urgently spoke: "Brother Blaze Lord, do not fall for this divisive ploy of the Abyssal Daoist."

"Jaxian died by their hands. Can you truly not seek vengeance for this?" Discover more cultivation stories at audio–novel.com.