Chapter 1573 : The Demon Sovereign's Heavenly Tribulation

Upon hearing this, everyone present fell into a profound silence.

In their hearts, they understood all too clearly that the emergence of such a formidable power from the Demonic Path [the unorthodox and malevolent cultivation path] would inevitably spell catastrophe for this vast expanse of the starry realm.

The Void-Refining Immortal [an immortal who refines the void] took a deep breath and spoke, "Given our current strength, confronting this Demon Sovereign [a sovereign ruler among demons] would likely be a struggle beyond our means."

Eldrin Chen nodded slightly and stated calmly, "For the Demonic Path to attempt a breakthrough into the Heaven Immortal Realm [the realm of celestial immortals] is an act of defiance against the Cosmos's Heavenly Dao [the Heavenly Way, the fundamental order of the cosmos]. It is certain to invoke a dreadful tribulation."

"I believe the moment I descended to this lower realm, I had already stepped into the midst of his Dao-Obstructing Great Tribulation [a great calamity that obstructs one's path to the Dao]."

Upon hearing this, the Master of the Dao Palace nodded in agreement. "Indeed. By descending, you have become the tribulation for the Demon Sovereign's ascension to the Dao. It seems this was the will of fate, working in unseen ways."

"Hmm."

Eldrin Chen gave a faint nod and continued, "However, the Demon Sovereign is, after all, an existence with a Dual Taiyi Foundation [a foundation of dual Taiyi, representing immense power]. His combat prowess may not be inferior to that of the Dragon King of the Western Abyss before his own breakthrough. Engaging him directly would be far too perilous."

"Without combat strength at or above the Earth Immortal Nine Layers [the ninth layer of the Earth Immortal realm], one should not intervene at the heart of the battlefield."

Upon hearing this, a shadow seemed to pass over Lin Tianqi's eyes. He could only nod in acceptance. "If that is the case, then it is best for us to return to the Immortal Domain [the domain of immortals] and await your news." This novel is serialized on *audio-novel.com*. Visit for updates.

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke, "Upon returning, send a letter to Separated Flame Divine Lord, and also to Zixuan the Daoist."

"Their Violet Firmament Divine Thunder and Southern Brightness Sunfire possess immense restraining power against Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who cultivate using demonic or unorthodox methods]. This could increase our chances of success in exterminating the demons."

"Understood."

Upon hearing this, the several individuals cupped their hands in acknowledgment and promptly vanished into the starry void.

Those who departed this time numbered five: Demon-Subduing Divine Monk, Void-Refining Immortal, Lin Tianqi, Master of the Dao Palace, and Dorian Ji.

After they had left, Nyssa Qu spoke up, "This Demon Sovereign [a supreme ruler among demonic beings] likely possesses formidable strength. We must proceed with caution should we confront it."

"Indeed."

Eldrin Chen nodded, his hands clasped behind his back as he gazed into the depths of the cosmos. "That Demon Sovereign is a Heaven-Detested Demon [a demon so vile it is loathed by Heaven itself]. Slaying it would yield immense Merit [a metaphysical "currency" representing good karma or virtuous deeds]. I suspect it would be more than sufficient to coalesce a Merit Violet Light [a manifestation of supreme virtue and heavenly favor]."

"This is our opportunity. No matter how perilous this Demon Sovereign may be, it surely pales in comparison to venturing into the heart of the Nether Abyss Purgatory Sea to deal with a Half-Step Celestial Immortal Realm [a realm just shy of true Celestial Immortality] titan of the Demonic Path [the collective forces and practices of demonic cultivation]."

The others nodded in agreement. To cultivate his Primordial Chaos Indestructible Body [a legendary physique of unbreakable resilience], Eldrin Chen still required two more strands of Merit Violet Light.

An ordinary Earth Immortal Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Earth Immortal realm] Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner of demonic arts], if slain, would yield no more than a few dozen strands of Merit's Pure Radiance [a manifestation of pure, condensed virtuous energy]. To condense a single strand of Merit Violet Light [a profound, violet-hued light formed from immense accumulated merit] by slaying such Demonic Cultivator, one would need to eliminate at least twenty of them.

If one were to slay a Half-Step Celestial Immortal [a cultivator who has partially transcended the Earth Immortal realm, touching the threshold of the Celestial Immortal], a single kill would likely suffice.

Yet, whether it be an Earth Immortal Great Perfection or a Half-Step Celestial Immortal, both are immensely powerful Demonic Cultivator. Even within the depths of the Nether Abyss Purgatory Sea [a vast, hellish sea in the demonic realms], they are far from easy prey.

To slay twenty Earth Immortal Great Perfection in one fell swoop, or to eliminate a single Half-Step Celestial Immortal, borders on the impossible.

Should Eldrin Chen attempt such a feat, he would inevitably alert the Celestial Immortal Realm [the realm of true Celestial Immortals] powerhouses of the Demonic Path [the collective forces and sects aligned with demonic cultivation]. The likelihood of his safe return would then become vanishingly small.

The next best strategy would be to infiltrate the Nether Abyss Purgatory Sea several times, each time stealthily eliminating one or two Earth Immortal Great Perfection Demonic Cultivator. By spreading the task over a dozen or more such incursions, he might avoid drawing the attention of a Heavenly Immortal Paragon [a supreme expert at the Heavenly Immortal level].

However, venturing into the Nether Abyss Purgatory Sea over a dozen times would drastically increase the cumulative risk of encountering peril.

To mitigate this danger, the wisest course would be to wait tens of thousands, or even hundreds of thousands of years between each foray, allowing the vigilance of the Earth Immortal Great Perfection within the Nether Abyss Purgatory Sea to wane, thus improving his chances.

Yet, for the present Eldrin Chen, both approaches are fraught with grave peril.

By comparison, if he could slay this Demon Sovereign [a sovereign ruler among demons] here in the depths of the starry void, it would perhaps be the optimal choice.

After much deliberation, Eldrin Chen spoke, "My current combat prowess can barely be considered on par with a Dual Taiyi Foundation [a cultivator who has established a foundation based on the supreme Taiyi principle]."

"After refining the Southern Brightness Sunfire [a divine flame of the southern heavens], the Taiyi Dao Principle [the supreme foundational principle of the Dao] he commands has transformed from the Southern Heaven Separated Flame [a separated flame of the southern sky] into the Southern Brightness Sunfire. His Deep-Seated Foundation [the profound and unshakable base of a cultivator's power] has undergone an extraordinary metamorphosis, and his methods have undoubtedly seen significant breakthroughs."

"Fellow Daoist Zixuan possesses exceptional skill and combat strength, and he wields the Taiyi Immortal Weapon [an immortal-grade weapon imbued with Taiyi essence] known as the Kui Ox Heavenly Drum [a celestial drum said to be made from the hide of the mythical Kui Ox]."

"With the three of us joining forces, and given that the Laws of the Dao [the fundamental principles governing reality] inherently counter the Demonic Path [the unorthodox and malevolent cultivation path], we stand a reasonable chance of slaying a Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner of demonic arts] at the Dual Taiyi Foundation level."

"If that Demon Sovereign [a sovereign ruler among demons] has other enemies seeking to block his path to power, our odds should increase further."

His resolve firm, Eldrin Chen set his course for the depths of the starry void. Read, share, and discuss at audio_novel.com.

The group soon arrived at their destination in the cosmic deep: the 'Heaven-Demon Star System' [a star system dominated by celestial demons], where the Demon Race [the race of beings who cultivate demonic energy] had established their lair.

Vast beyond measure, spanning one hundred thousand light-years, this Heaven-Demon Star System was the largest within the Ronan stellar cluster. Its countless stars were saturated with boundless Demonic Fiend Qi [the corrupt and malevolent energy cultivated by demons], serving as a breeding ground for endless legions of the Demon Race.

Upon reaching the fringes of the Blood Demon Star System [a region within the Heaven-Demon system known for its bloodthirsty inhabitants], Eldrin Chen made inquiries and learned the origin of this Heaven-Demon Star System.

It was revealed that this colossal star system was formed from the remains of a great power from the Demonic Path, one who had reached the Heaven-Demon [Celestial Demon] realm. After its fall, its corporeal form disintegrated into cosmic dust—the Heaven-Demon Nebula [the nebulous remnants of the fallen Heaven-Demon]—which eventually coalesced into this magnificent galaxy.

It is said that at its zenith, this Heaven-Demon Star System [a vast celestial system once ruled by demonic powers] even enveloped millions of light-years of surrounding starry void, constituting an immeasurably vast and boundless galaxy.

Over time, the energies within the Heaven-Demon Nebula [the remnant cloud of gas and dust from the collapsed Heaven-Demon Star System] gradually dissipated, leaving less than one percent of its original might. The present-day Heaven-Demon Nebula is roughly comparable in scale to a single Supreme Grade Abode of Bliss [a realm of supreme cultivation blessedness and spiritual abundance].

Within this Heaven-Demon Nebula, over one hundred powerful Starry Sky Demon Race [demon races that thrive in the cosmic void] have now flourished and multiplied, collectively known as the Hundred Demonic Races [the alliance of the one hundred dominant demon clans].

The strength of these Hundred Demonic Races is not to be underestimated; nearly every clan possesses beings at the Earth Immortal Realm [the realm of Earth Immortals, cultivators who have attained a profound connection with the world's essence].

The master of these Hundred Demonic Races, who is also the sovereign of the Heaven-Demon Nebula, is revered as the Sovereign of the Hundred Races [the supreme ruler who commands the allegiance of the Hundred Demonic Races]. He is the paramount power residing in the depths of this stellar region.

After comprehending the forces within the Heaven-Demon Star Domain [the broader celestial domain centered on the Heaven-Demon Nebula], Eldrin Chen frowned slightly, a trace of coldness appearing between his brows. "It is said that these Nine Nether True Demons [a classification of powerful, primordial demons originating from the deepest nether realms] seldom ascend to the Immortal Domain [the higher realm where true Immortals reside]," he remarked.

"Most of them refine and wander the starry depths with their True Demon Nest [a mobile, fortress-like lair cultivated by high-ranking demons], rarely settling to occupy a fixed Ronan system."

"For this Demon Sovereign [a title for a ruler among demons] to dare entrench himself within the Heaven-Demon Star System, it seems he is confident in his extraordinary power."

Upon hearing this, the gazes of those present sharpened. While Immortal [beings who have achieved immortality through cultivation] ascend to the Immortal Domain, most practitioners of the Demonic Path [the cultivation path aligned with demonic energies and methodologies] remain within the Starry Sky Great Universe [the mortal cosmos of stars and galaxies].

Although Immortal and others can descend to Demon-Slayer, broadly speaking, the balance of power within the starry cosmos tilts in favor of the True Demon [the purest and most powerful class of demons] path.

Fortunately, in this era, the righteous path waxes strong while the demonic wanes. Across the boundless expanse of the Three Thousand Immortal Domains, the two Divine Sovereigns of the Divine Race, the three Celestial Emperors of the Demonic Tribe, and even the two Dao Ancestor Immortal Sages of the Human Race are not aligned with the Demonic Path.

Overall, the number of Immortals and Divine beings still significantly outnumbers that of the Demonic Cultivators.

Furthermore, deep within the Boundless Starry Sky, the Three Great Celestial Courts—the Divine Court, the Celestial Court, and the Demon Court—hold dominion over the most prosperous Heavenly Circuit Stars.

Therefore, to avoid provoking an Immortal [a being who has ascended to a higher plane of existence] to descend for Demon-Slayer, and to avoid drawing the ire of the Three Great Celestial Courts, the forces of the Demonic Path in the depths of the starry sky maintain a relatively low profile. They tend to steer clear of the bustling stellar regions, targeting only ancient stars and worlds that lack the protection of an upper-realm Immortal.

Otherwise, if they were to incite a powerful Immortal to descend for Demon-Slayer or provoke a military campaign from the Celestial Court, they would face a grim choice: either lose their lives or abandon the lairs they have painstakingly built for themselves and flee into the deepest, most desolate reaches of the cosmos. Read, share, and discuss at *audio-novel.com*.