Chapter 45 : A Sudden Strike Shatters the Demon

Seeing that he could not immediately subdue Eternal Profound Chen, the Hong Old Demon turned a cold gaze towards Zhang Old Demon.

"Junior Brother Zhang, the three of us will hold off this old cur. You go assist Fellow Daoist Zuo in breaking that formation. Once it falls, we shall combine the strength of all five to shatter this old fool's turtle shell in one fell swoop."

"Agreed."

Zhang Old Demon readily assented, then flew with a cold sneer towards the Blazing Sun Heavenly Flame Formation.

Gazing at those maintaining the formation, he sneered, "Years ago, it was I who breached this very formation of your Chen Clan. To dare deploy it now is nothing but a path to your own doom."

As he spoke, he summoned his Black Banner [a dark, enchanted banner] and unleashed a slash of black, cutting energy.

At that very instant, Eldrin Chen, hidden among the crowd, made his move. With a flick of his wrist, the Green Ape Pearl [a powerful pearl artifact containing the essence of a mighty simian spirit] transformed into a colossal sphere of immense weight and hurtled towards Zhang Old Demon.

Caught off guard, the demon hurriedly redirected the Black Banner's attack towards the Green Ape Pearl. The two forces collided mid-air, erupting in a dazzling burst of light.

In that fleeting moment, Eldrin Chen struck again with lethal intent. The Crimson Iron Sword Embryo [an unrefined sword of crimson iron, brimming with nascent power] shot forth like a streak of brilliant sword light. Its speed rivaled the chase of stars across the moon, arriving almost simultaneously with the pearl's impact, cleaving towards the old demon.

With no room to dodge, Zhang Old Demon desperately conjured a shield of protective energy in the critical instant. This bought him a sliver of time to preserve his life, but not before the sword light sheared off one of his arms. Continue your cultivation journey at @udio-novel.com.

"Aaaargh—"

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

With his ambush successful, Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy. He channeled his spiritual energy, causing his sword radiance to pivot. The resplendent Sword Embryo descended from the void, aiming to deliver a single, fatal strike to Zhang Old Demon.

Yet, in that very instant, the battle took another unexpected turn. That Daylight Wonder Zuo summoned forth a fiery crimson blade-light. With a resounding *clang*, it cleaved through the Blazing Sun Heavenly Flame Formation.

Having shattered the formation, he wasted no time pursuing the injured Eldrin Chen. Instead, he directly commanded that blade radiance to intercept Eldrin Chen's Sword Embryo.

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

Upon seeing that fiery crimson blade radiance, Eldrin Chen's eyes instantly narrowed with sharp focus.

After all these years, he never imagined he would encounter the Lifebound Magical Treasure [a cultivator's personally bonded and nurtured enchanted artifact] of the Old Patriarch here.

"The Lin Immortal Clan."

In that fleeting moment, his eyes chilled. The ones who had purchased the Old Patriarch's magical instrument back then were none other than the Lin Clan, the foremost of the Yu County's Six Great Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan.

Although the six great Immortal Clan competed amongst themselves, they were considered to be of one breath and one branch [sharing a common cause and destiny] in their struggle against the demonic beasts. Eldrin Chen truly could not have imagined that this Lin Clan would actually sell this magical artifact to an enemy of the Chen Clan.

Having missed the chance for a single decisive strike, Zhang Old Demon urgently swallowed an elixir [a spiritual pill used for healing or cultivation], temporarily suppressing his injuries as he rejoined the fray. Together with Daylight Wonder Zuo, they launched a joint assault against Eldrin Chen.

Facing two opponents alone, Eldrin Chen did not yield an inch of ground.

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

Although Zhang Old Demon was at the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage, he possessed only a single Demonic Treasure [an enchanted artifact imbued with demonic energy]. Now grievously wounded, his power had diminished by more than half, making him even less of a threat than Daylight Wonder Zuo in this moment.

The three combatants exchanged over thirty moves. Eldrin Chen continuously activated his two magical artifacts, actually pressing his two opponents back. Finally, Daylight Wonder Zuo could endure no longer. From his Storage Bag [a spatial pouch for holding items], he produced a spiritual talisman.

As soon as the talisman was activated, a surge of Daoist flame [a mystical fire born of profound cultivation principles] erupted, soaring through the air to engulf its target.

"Azure Spirit True Flame Talisman!"

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 unleashed by a cultivator at the mid or late stages of Foundation Establishment, it could even pose a threat to a Foundation Establishment Late Stage expert.

Due to his insufficient cultivation, Daylight Wonder Zuo 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 energy and hurled the Green Ape Pearl forward.

His True Essence was profound and razor-sharp, allowing the Green Ape Pearl to unleash power far beyond the ordinary in his hands. It instantly shattered thirty percent of the Azure Spirit True Flame's might, then expanded its verdant light barrier once more, blocking another forty percent of the searing flames.

However, the Azure Spirit True Flame Talisman lived up to its reputation as a Second Rank High-Grade talisman. It still managed to burn through the green barrier, causing the Green Ape Pearl's radiance 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 time.

Fearing damage to the Green Ape Pearl, Eldrin Chen swiftly retrieved it. He then activated the Ninefold Resonance Bell, and an ethereal great bell materialized, enveloping him completely. Read, share, and discuss at audio . novel . com.

The remaining power of the Azure Spirit True Flame was insufficient and ultimately failed to breach the defense of the Ninefold Resonance Bell.

Having withstood the assault of the Azure Spirit True Flame Talisman, it was now Eldrin Chen's turn to counterattack. Sheltered beneath the Ninefold Resonance Bell and unafraid of their attacks, he pressed his sword embryo forward, overwhelming his two opponents with a relentless assault.

After another hundred exchanges, Daylight Wonder Zuo's cultivation proved inadequate. He had repeatedly activated the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade, a Second Rank Mid-Grade magical weapon, and had also triggered the Azure Spirit True Flame Talisman. His spiritual energy [the vital power used by cultivators to fuel their arts] was now nearly depleted.

Seeing the opportunity had arrived, Eldrin Chen decisively struck with lethal intent. With a single sword thrust, he pierced through his opponent's defensive magical treasure, the Golden Light Shield, boring a deep, cavernous hole through his chest.

"Daylight Wonder!"

Witnessing Daylight Wonder Zuo hanging between life and death, Bright Void Zuo wept bitter tears, his heart filled with regret. He channeled his energy, causing the Mingxu Sword to soar into the air and slash down with lethal intent.

The Mingxu Sword was Bright Void Zuo's Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force, growing in power with them]. When personally wielded by Bright Void Zuo, its unleashed power surpassed that of a typical Second Rank Mid-Grade [a mid-tier classification for magical artifacts] artifact by thirty percent. If this strike landed, even the Ninefold Resonance Bell might not withstand it.

However, the Old Patriarch was present on the battlefield; how could he tolerate such insolence? A cold laugh echoed from Eternal Profound Chen as he roared.

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

"*Clang—*"

A resonant sword cry pierced the air, and the famed offensive divine ability, 'Blazing Heaven Sword' [a sword technique of immense solar fury], manifested once more across the vast Great Wasteland.

With a single pointed finger from the Old Patriarch, a sword radiance as brilliant as the sun soared skyward. Its razor-sharp aura was so intense it forced everyone present to pale with dread.

At this critical juncture, Bright Void Zuo could no longer afford to concern himself with Eldrin Chen. He desperately channeled his Lifebound Immortal Sword to parry the blow, only to watch helplessly as his treasured sword was sent flying away.

Yet, that fleeting moment of obstruction granted him just enough time to react. Hastily, he summoned an ancient bronze-colored miniature pagoda. The small pagoda rotated slightly, unfolding a shimmering defensive barrier of light around him.

In that instant, the Blazing Heaven Sword [a divine sword technique that channels the power of the blazing sun] clashed against the ancient bronze pagoda, producing 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 clash subsided, the Blazing Heaven Sword Divine Ability had dissipated into nothingness, while the ancient bronze pagoda's glow had dimmed significantly, appearing unable to be used again for a short while.

"A Second Rank High-Grade [a classification for high-quality defensive artifacts] defensive magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators]," the Old Patriarch muttered, his eyes widening with a flicker of envy.

It was only because Bright Void Zuo's cultivation base was insufficient. Had such a defensive artifact fallen into his own hands, it could likely withstand three or four strikes from the Blazing Heaven Sword—that would truly be considered a display of Extraordinary power.

After all, while the Blazing Heaven Sword possessed devastating might, its consumption of spiritual energy was equally immense. Even with his Foundation Establishment 7th Tier [the seventh level of the Foundation Establishment stage] cultivation, the Old Patriarch could not unleash it consecutively.

Having shattered Bright Void Zuo's defensive artifact with a single blow, the three enemies clearly showed a flicker of intent to retreat.

But the Old Patriarch was swift. Seizing the moment before they could solidify their resolve, he decisively activated the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation Flags [a set of formation flags that conjure soul-scorching solar flames].

The flags expanded outward, enveloping the group within the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Grand Formation [a grand formation that traps foes in a cage of soul-consuming solar fire]. Find thousands of chapters at audio-novel`com.