Chapter 1307 : Netherblaze

You Tai’ao dared not meet the attack head-on, yet his eyes blazed with a scorching immortal light.

Then, in the blink of an eye, he summoned an ancient black banner. Its surface was covered in Daoist patterns, radiating an aura of boundless malevolence, with 7 vividly carved malevolent spirits embedded within.

"This is..."

"Beware, it's the Banner of 7 Souls."

Seeing this, Riji gasped in astonishment, recognizing the origin of this treasure.

Upon hearing this, a faint glimmer stirred in Eldrin's eyes as he instantly deduced the origins of this treasure.

It turned out that this 7 Souls Soul Banner was an extremely malevolent artifact of the demonic path. Its banner pole had been forged from the bones of an immortal, while the banner cloth itself had been tanned from the skin of gods and celestials.

Within it was sealed a malevolent ghostly soul, refined from the true spirits of immortal deities.

In his early years, You Tai'ao obtained the method to refine this treasure. Through his cultivation journey, he had slain dozens of immortals, including 7 experts at the half-step Earth Immortal level.

The souls and true spirits of all these powerful figures were completely refined into this 7 Souls Soul Banner.

Within this 7 Souls Soul Banner before me reside 7 primary spirits, all refined from the souls of powerful immortals at the half-step Earth Immortal realm. After being tempered for 1,000,000 years with Netherworld power by Youtai'ao, they have now evolved into truly terrifying malignant ghosts and ferocious wraiths.

A single 1 might not amount to much, but with 7 Malevolent Ghost Primordial Souls unleashed simultaneously, even an Earth Immortal Patriarch would likely turn and flee.

"Hmm..."

You saw Youtao brandish the sinister banner, and in an instant, 7 malevolent ghosts of unparalleled ferocity surged forth, actually suppressing the might of the Black Dragon Cauldron That Suppresses the World.

Eldrin (Person Name) felt immense pressure bearing down upon him, his brow furrowing slightly as he remarked, "What a formidable evil treasure!"

Seeing this, Youtai'ao sneered coldly, "My 7-Souls Banner of Revered Spirits still lacks 1 sovereign soul. I believe you are the most suitable candidate."

"Perish."

As the words fell, Youtai'ao once again brandished the 7 Souls Ghost Banner. Under the combined force of the 7 malevolent spirits, a ghostly flame of extreme Yin and coldness surged into the air, blazing toward Eldrin (Person Name).

This Netherworld Ghost Flame was originally a renowned supreme Yin flame, yet when driven by the Soul Summoning Banner, its power actually rivaled that of an orthodox-level Heaven-Splitting Divine Art.

He saw it sweep across the heavens, as if intent on scorching the earth and freezing the void. "This is somewhat troublesome."

Eldrin's brow furrowed slightly as he immediately summoned the Primordial Pure Yang Flame, intending to suppress this Netherworld Ghostfire with celestial purity. To his astonishment, the Pure Yang Heavenly Fire found itself overpowered and forced into a defensive position.

This was not because the Pure Yang Celestial Fire lacked power. It must be understood that the Pure Yang Fire is the ultimate yang flame between heaven and earth, as well as the natural bane of all sinister and corrupt beings across the realms. It should have been the most effective counter to the Nether Ghost Flame.

Unfortunately, the Pure Yang Celestial Flame wielded by Eldrin had only reached the Realm of Principles and had yet to touch the Domain of Rules. Confronting the Netherworld Ghostfire of the 7 Souls Soul Banner, it still fell somewhat short.

Fortunately, although the Pure Yang Celestial Fire struggled to suppress the Netherworld Ghost Flame, Eldrin used it to shield himself and remained unafraid of the ghost flame’s formidable power. Moreover, with the might of the Black Dragon Cauldron Quelling the World, he managed to hold his own in the battle without falling at a disadvantage.

Amidst such a fierce battle, hundreds of exchanges had passed in the blink of an eye, yet neither side could gain the upper hand.

By this point in the great battle, both combatants could be considered fully committed, their expenditure far from insignificant. While Eldrin's countenance remained unwaveringly composed, Youtai'ao began to reveal traces of solemn gravity.

The battle had raged to this point, and under the relentless assault of the coalition, several more half-step Earth Immortals of the demon race had fallen. Even the Celestial Demon Emperor had met his end at the hands of Qing Ji.

To continue fighting would likely lead to the complete collapse of the demon army. By then, even with their 3 Earth Immortals possessing world-shaking combat prowess, it would probably be beyond redemption.

Moreover, most crucially, as an 8-Calamity Immortal, while Youtai'ao's combat prowess was sufficient to suppress a First-Level Earth Immortal, his own magical power fell far short of that of an Earth Immortal Patriarch.

After hundreds of exchanges, even though he had swallowed several priceless immortal pills to replenish his spiritual energy, nearly 70 percent of the power within him had now been depleted. If the fight continued, he feared his reserves would soon run dry.

At this thought, he glanced at Eldrin, inwardly musing: "This man has exchanged hundreds of moves with me—his spiritual energy consumption should be equally massive. Yet he still retains strength to spare... Could it be he possesses some extraordinary treasure?"

"Wait, this person possesses the 5 Spirit Roots, and there must be a treasure within their body that stores spiritual power."

At this thought, a hint of retreat stirred within Youtai'ao. He cast a deep glance at Eldrin (Person Name) and sneered coldly, "Let today's battle end here!"

"When this sovereign has dealt with the Azure River Ancient Sect, I shall return to claim your head!"

As the words fell, Youtao (Person Name) abruptly soared into the sky, intending to withdraw at once.

Eldrin, however, let out a light chuckle. With a flick of his sleeve, he stepped forward and threw a punch directly at Youtai'ao.

At this moment, Eldrin activated the Heavenly Mandate Decree upon himself. His physical strength surged by 30 percent in an instant, and boundless mighty power swept down like a tidal wave, aiming to severely wound Youtai'ao with a single strike.

Lord Youtai’ao paid it no mind, his heart brimming with absolute confidence. As an 8-Calamity Immortal, even an Earth Immortal Patriarch could not slay him. Without hesitation, he began to transform into a streak of escape-light, ready to depart.

But at that very instant, he suddenly saw at the edge of the heavens, an ancient mirror of unparalleled brilliance standing tall within the 9 Heavens Above (Time & Distance).

Under its suppression, the heavens and earth spanning countless hundreds of millions of miles around fell into complete stagnation, before being drawn into a boundless expanse of space.

"Spatial Treasure?"

“You don’t say!” Youtai’ao exclaimed, his tone laced with disbelief.

"Boom"

But then, a deafening roar erupted as Eldrin sent Youtai'ao flying with a single punch, his expression icy as he spoke.

"This first descent of the Ethereal Heaven Realm upon the mortal world—to perish beneath such divine power is a fate worthy of your lifetime!"

As the words fell, Eldrin stepped forward with a sweeping strike, forcing Youtai'ao to retreat step by step.

He possessed the Ren Water Blue Lotus Throne, which provided him with ample spiritual power even after consecutive fierce battles. Now, wielding various immortal treasures against Youtai'ao and reinforcing his physical form with the Heavenly Mandate Decree, he had ultimately completely suppressed Youtai'ao.

After another 100-some exchanges, Eldrin's energy was ultimately depleted. He was sent flying backward, and even the 7-Soul Soul Banner—that primordial evil treasure born at the dawn of creation—was torn asunder on the spot.

"Slay you, to prove my Dao!"

With a single strike that grievously wounded Youtai'ao, Eldrin's eyes blazed with radiant intensity. Boundless magical power converged within his physical form as immense Gengjin energy erupted from his body, forcibly piercing through the undying flesh of the Primordial Netherdragon.

"You want to kill me? The 1000 Dragon Lake will never let you get away with this!"

At the brink of death, Eldrin's heart swelled with immense resentment. He possessed world-shaking combat prowess sufficient to slay Earth Immortal progenitors, with divine abilities and immortal treasures no less formidable than Eldrin's own.

He was not defeated by lack of combat prowess, but by his own insufficient spiritual power.

Although he had consumed several incredibly precious elixirs during this battle, it still could not compare to the multiple-fold amplification of his magical power provided by the Nenshui Green Lotus Throne (Magic Treasure).

After such a prolonged and fierce battle, he had completely exhausted his strength—how could he possibly withstand Eldrin’s full-force strike? *BOOM*

No matter how unwilling, there was no reversing the tide of defeat.