Chapter 1334 : The Bell Tolls for War

After the ceasefire, the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance began to fully repair and reorganize, while the Demon Race also marshaled their forces for war.

Both sides seized this rare opportunity of truce to begin recovering their injuries and combat strength.

Thus, time flowed swiftly, and a full century passed in the blink of an eye. During these hundred years, the spiritual power of both sides was largely restored.

With the aid of healing elixirs, the wounds of most Immortal [powerful cultivators who have transcended mortality] on both sides had healed, save for those who had suffered grievous, near-fatal injuries.

On this day, Eldrin Chen stood atop the Heavenly Vault, presiding over the Cosmic Stellar Formation [a grand defensive array harnessing cosmic and stellar energies], when he observed the distant Demon Race armies beginning to mass and advance towards the Returning Abyss Sea Region.

"Boom—"

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen immediately channeled his power into the Ancient Starry Firmament Bell.

In that instant, the Ancient Starry Firmament Bell tolled nine times in succession. Across the vast Cosmic Stellar Archipelago, countless cultivators heard the bell's clarion call. Their expressions turning grave, they rushed towards their designated Formation Eye [the core control nodes of a mystical formation] to begin maintaining the operation of the various defensive Formation [mystical energy arrays].

The Immortal who had been in seclusion recuperating promptly emerged from their retreats. They flew to take command of the grand formations from atop the various Immortal Isles, while the remaining forces assembled at the edges of the defensive perimeter.

Combatants of Earth Immortal [a high realm of cultivation, signifying a profound connection to the earth's spiritual veins] caliber, such as Sun Consort and Exquisite Jiang, flew to Eldrin Chen's side. Gazing at the approaching Demon Race horde in the distance, Exquisite Jiang asked with a deeply concerned expression: This chapter appears courtesy of https://audio-novel.com.

"If Thousand Dragon Lake does not withdraw its forces, could it be that they are confident they can breach the Cosmic Stellar Formation within a thousand years?"

"It is difficult to say."

The Patriarch of Verdant Stream Ancient Sect shook his head, his expression turning grave as he spoke. "The Demon Race has gauged our strength. Since they dare to launch this assault, they certainly do not intend to merely waste their time."

"This battle will likely be perilous beyond measure, perhaps the most brutal conflict we have ever faced."

Eldrin Chen's brow furrowed slightly. He understood clearly in his heart that with them tying down the Earth Immortal Patriarch, the remaining forces of Thousand Dragon Lake stood no chance of breaching the Cosmic Stellar Formation through a frontal assault within a millennium.

If they could not shatter the Cosmic Stellar Formation within a thousand years, then for Thousand Dragon Lake to continue fighting would be nothing but a waste of time and their accumulated resources.

"Could it be... does Thousand Dragon Lake still hold some hidden trump card?"

Eldrin Chen murmured to himself, then shook his head sharply.

If Thousand Dragon Lake truly possessed a trump card capable of directly breaking the Cosmic Stellar Formation, they would not have held it back until now.

At this thought, Eldrin Chen's brow creased once more as he whispered, "Unless..."

"Disaster! They are about to take a perilous gamble!"

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted abruptly, revealing a look of utmost gravity.

Hearing this, the others also seemed to realize something, and their faces could not help but change.

During the great war against the Suwei Sea in the past, Bright Ao and the other former Thousand Dragon Lake Half-Step Earth Immortal patriarchs, in order to breach the enemy formation swiftly, had directly used the Triad Wonder Pearls to pierce through the Cosmic Stellar Formation [a powerful defensive array that harnesses the power of stars], intending to slaughter the cultivators within by force.

This tactic was extremely risky and aggressive, for once trapped inside the formation, one would become a turtle in a jar [a Chinese idiom meaning trapped with no escape], with little chance of fleeing.

However, if the power of those entering the formation far surpassed the strength of the defenders within, they could utterly annihilate their foes before the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy or forces, often for defense or attack] could fully entrap them, bypassing the need for a tedious and laborious formation-breaking process.

Currently, the Thousand Dragon Lake side boasted a full two Late Stage Earth Immortal [cultivators at the advanced stage of the Earth Immortal realm], six Earth Immortal Patriarch, over a dozen Half-Step Earth Immortal [cultivators on the verge of becoming full Earth Immortals], and five hundred Immortal [cultivators who have ascended to the first major stage of immortality].

If they were to risk entering the formation, the forces of the Returning Abyss Immortal Alliance would likely be utterly unable to withstand them.

At this thought, the group exchanged uneasy glances, their expressions growing increasingly fraught with worry.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen took a deep breath and said to the Patriarch of Verdant Stream Ancient Sect, "If the Demon Race truly commits to this desperate move, then you and I will be the linchpins of this battle."

"If the two of us can hold off the Blaze Lord of Heaven's Prison and the Lord of Thousand Dragon Lake, then perhaps we still have a chance to win this battle."

"But if we cannot hold them off, or are even slain by them, then I fear all is lost."

Upon hearing this, the Patriarch of Verdant Stream Ancient Sect revealed a bitter smile and said, "With my strength at the Sixth Level Earth Immortal [the sixth major stage of the Earth Immortal cultivation realm], expecting me to hold back a Seventh Level Earth Immortal [the seventh major stage of the Earth Immortal cultivation realm] is truly overestimating my capabilities."

"However, if you were to have the three great Formations—the Three Enclosures Immortal-Burial Formation, the Four Symbols Immortal-Trapping Formation, and the Polarity Immortal-Severing Formation—all assist me together, perhaps I could temporarily withstand a single Seventh Level Earth Immortal."

The assembled immortals fell into a contemplative silence. If that were the case, would Eldrin Chen not have to face a Seventh Level Earth Immortal alone, without any external aid?

For a Half-Step Earth Immortal [a cultivator who has partially stepped into the Earth Immortal realm but not fully stabilized] to confront a Seventh Level Earth Immortal single-handedly and unaided was a task bordering on the impossible. Continue reading this story at audio-novel dot com.

"Alas!"

Eldrin Chen let out a heavy sigh. Part of him wished to refuse.

Yet he understood clearly that the Patriarch of Verdant Stream Ancient Sect's power truly could not match his own.

If the Patriarch were to face a Seventh Level Earth Immortal alone without the support of a Formation [a structured arrangement of power used for defense, attack, or cultivation], he would likely be slain within a hundred exchanges.

In contrast, Eldrin Chen, protected by his Primordial One Energy True Aura [a supreme defensive technique that forms an impenetrable barrier of unified primordial energy], could at least contend with a Late Stage Earth Immortal [a cultivator who has reached the seventh level of the Earth Immortal realm] until his spiritual energy was exhausted.

Therefore, no matter how perilous the coming battle, Eldrin Chen had no choice but to step forward and face it.

"Very well. I shall do my utmost,"

Eldrin Chen finally declared, accepting the daunting task of confronting a Seventh Level Earth Immortal alone.

Just as their strategy was settled, the Demon Race Treasure Ship [a massive, fortress-like vessel powered by spiritual energy and armed with formidable siege weapons] arrived beyond the borders of the Returning Abyss Sea Region.

They encircled the Cosmic Stellar Archipelago and began a relentless bombardment with their Treasure Ship, creating the appearance of a protracted siege.

After several days of this stalemate, the Lord of Thousand Dragon Lake could wait no longer. He exchanged a glance with the Blaze Lord of Heaven's Prison.

"Now!"

In that instant, the Blaze Lord of Heaven's Prison unleashed the Heaven-Sundering Heavenly God Talisman [a divine talisman of catastrophic power capable of tearing through spatial defenses], violently ripping a breach in the grand formation protecting the Cosmic Stellar archipelago.

As the gap yawned open, the Lord of Thousand Dragon Lake charged through first, a solitary vanguard holding the entrance against the counter-current of energy to cover the advance of the Demon Race immortals swarming in behind him.

Witnessing this scene, Eldrin Chen simultaneously unleashed the Primordial One Energy Grasping Hand to suppress the enemy advance while shouting the command, "Fire the World-Ending Cannon!"

"BOOM—"

In that instant, Energy Abyss Chen, Star Consort, Moon Consort, and others who had long been prepared, aimed and fired the World-Ending Cannon.

Each blast from the World-Ending Cannon possessed power comparable to a full-force strike from a Late Stage Earth Immortal. With three of these colossal cannons firing simultaneously, the narrow entrance was utterly engulfed.

Even the Lord of Thousand Dragon Lake dared not face such an onslaught head-on and immediately withdrew.

In that very moment, the World-Ending Cannon's barrage swept over the constricted passage, clearing out the Demon Immortal [demonic cultivators who have attained immortality] who had been pouring in.

In that single, devastating salvo, over one hundred Demon Immortal True Dragon [powerful dragon demons], along with three Demon Race Half-Step Earth Immortal [demonic cultivators on the cusp of the Earth Immortal realm], were utterly annihilated. Countless beams of Path-Dissolving Radiance [a destructive light that erodes cultivation and existence] flooded the entire sea region.

Even a Earth Immortal Patriarch [a venerable patriarch of the Earth Immortal realm] suffered unprecedented grievous wounds, half of his World-Opening True Body [a powerful physical manifestation technique] blasted away.

"Ah! You will all pay for this!"

Seeing his forces lose over a hundred Immortal [immortal-level cultivators] before the main battle had even begun, the Lord of Thousand Dragon Lake was filled with towering rage.

He unleashed his full power, bracing against Eldrin Chen's Primordial One Energy Grasping Hand [a divine technique that manifests a giant hand of pure energy to seize and crush], then summoned a superior-grade World-Opening Treasure [a legendary artifact of immense power, said to be capable of cleaving apart primordial chaos] and hurled it forward in a devastating horizontal strike.

Simultaneously, Blaze Lord of Heaven's Prison also advanced, his Prison Flame War Halberd [a polearm wreathed in the searing, soul-binding flames of a divine prison] thrusting forth with God-Slaying Radiance [a piercing, annihilating light capable of wounding even deities]. Its terrifying, needle-sharp point aimed directly for Eldrin Chen's heart. Dive deeper into the Dao at https://audio-novel.com.