Chapter 65 : Clash of Magical Treasures

"Barrier-Breaking Heart-Lock Spike."

In that fleeting moment, the thought flashed through Eldrin Chen's mind.

This Barrier-Breaking Heart-Lock Spike was the famed magical treasure of White Hope Lin, a rare and exquisite artifact despite being only Second Rank Mid-Grade.

Not only was this treasure exceptionally swift, but it was also specialized in piercing through protective energy barriers and the defensive light screens of magical treasures. An ordinary Second Rank Mid-Grade defensive artifact might not withstand its assault.

Eldrin Chen naturally dared not be careless. He activated the Ninefold Resonance Bell to shield his entire body, then soared into the sky astride his Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword. The three-zhang-length [approximately ten meters] sword energy radiating from the blade forced the incoming spike back.

"A Lifebound Immortal Sword?"

Seeing this sword light, a flicker of envy appeared in White Hope Lin's eyes.

The crafting methods and materials required for a Lifebound Magical Treasure [a treasure forged with a cultivator's essence and soul, growing in power with them] were exceedingly precious. Although he was at the Foundation Establishment Mid Stage, he could not compare to individuals like Eldrin Chen and Bright Void Zuo and had not succeeded in forging his own Lifebound Magical Treasure.

"Boom!"

Yet, in that very instant, Eldrin Chen launched his counterattack. Access the full story on audio—novel.com.

With a flick of his wrist, he sent the Green Ape Pearl [a powerful magical treasure] hurtling forward, swelling to a size of over one Zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters]. It shot directly towards White Hope Lin.

Rather than meet the attack head-on, White Hope Lin swiftly retreated on a beam of light, putting a hundred Zhang-lengths between them. His pupils contracted slightly as he watched the Green Ape Pearl crash into the earth, sending cracks spiderwebbing across the ground for more than ten Zhang-lengths in every direction.

"That treasure carries the weight of ten thousand Jin-weight [one Jin-weight equals zero point five kilograms]. If it struck true, even a physically formidable Second Rank [equivalent to Foundation Establishment stage] demon beast would likely be crushed," he thought, drawing a sharp breath.

Steeling himself, White Hope Lin produced a small, exquisitely crafted Violet-Patterned Treasure Furnace [an enchanted furnace artifact]. With a focused incantation, he hurled it towards Eldrin Chen.

The Treasure Furnace soared into the sky, its lid flying open. A torrent of violet flame cascaded forth like a tidal wave, engulfing the space before it in a sea of fire aimed squarely at Eldrin Chen.

"The Purple Sun True Flame [a legendary, searing violet fire]!"

"It's the Lin Clan's Purple Sun Furnace [a famed clan treasure, a furnace that produces the Purple Sun True Flame]!"

Eldrin Chen's gaze sharpened, a flicker of solemnity passing through his eyes.

The Purple Sun Furnace was one of the Lin Clan's foundational treasures, a Second Rank High-Grade [high-tier Foundation Establishment level] magical artifact. The Purple Sun True Flame it unleashed was extraordinarily potent; even a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Peak Stage [the pinnacle of the Foundation Establishment realm] would be reduced to ashes if caught within its violet inferno.

Although this treasure was immensely valuable, in the hands of White Hope Lin, it could only manifest about seventy percent of its true power. Eldrin Chen, however, was not without his own methods to counter it.

With a swift motion, he summoned forth the Violet Light Mirror [a magical treasure that emits a purifying violet light]. A beam of amethyst radiance erupted, washing over the battlefield. Though its raw power paled in comparison to the Purple Sun Furnace [a formidable furnace-shaped treasure], this mirror possessed a unique property: it specialized in suppressing the True Essence [the refined spiritual power that fuels magical artifacts], capable of severing a cultivator's connection to their treasures. It was the perfect counter to the Purple Sun Furnace.

Bathed in the violet glow, the Purple Sun Furnace instantly dimmed, its spiritual energy [the vital force cultivated by practitioners] severely drained. It plummeted from the sky like a fallen star.

"The Violet Light Mirror!"

"Now!"

Seizing that precise moment, a flash of lethal intent crossed White Hope Lin's eyes. Abandoning the Purple Sun Furnace, he raised his hand, unleashing a barrage of shimmering starlight.

The streaks of light filled the heavens, each one a needle of chilling, deadly radiance that made the scalp prickle with dread.

"Trouble! It's the Thousand-Star Needles of the Azure Abyss [a set of one thousand silver needles that shatter protective energies]!"

At this sight, even the composed Old Patriarch could no longer remain seated calmly.

The Thousand-Star Needles of the Azure Abyss was an insidiously vicious Second Rank High-Grade Magical Treasure [a high-quality artifact of the second rank], a hidden trump card the Lin Clan had kept in reserve.

This treasure consisted of over one thousand minute silver needles. Once activated, they shot forth like a thousand piercing starlights, specifically designed to breach protective auras [energy shields surrounding a cultivator] and shatter defensive magical treasures.

Even a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage [the third major stage of cultivation, where one builds a solid foundation for their path], if caught off guard, would find their flesh pierced by countless silver needles, leaving a body riddled with a thousand terrifying wounds.

Such injuries would puncture a cultivator's meridians [the channels through which spiritual energy flows] and their Elixir Field [the core energy center within a cultivator's body], potentially damaging their very foundation. Repairing such damage would likely require several decades, and could leave behind dreadful, lingering afflictions.

It could be said this treasure was truly a magical instrument of astonishing lethality. Its sole flaw was that no one could simultaneously control a thousand of these Starlight Needles, limiting its use in any single battle to just one devastating volley.

The moment he saw the countless starlight points, Eldrin Chen's instincts screamed of a lethal threat.

Acting on pure instinct, Eldrin Chen summoned the Green Ape Pearl [a defensive treasure formed from the essence of a Green Ape demon beast] before him. Its protective barrier flared, holding for but a single, crucial breath—a breath that bought him the moment he needed.

As the barrier shattered, the sword aura radiating from the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword [a legendary sword imbued with solar fire and abyssal power] blazed with renewed intensity. It carried him sideways for over a hundred Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters], evading ninety percent of the Starlight Needles. This content originates from @udio-novel.com. Please respect copyright.

The remaining needles, though still numerous, were all intercepted by the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword's fierce sword aura and the resonant chimes of the Ninefold Resonance Bell [a bell treasure that produces nine layers of defensive sound waves], failing to deliver a fatal blow.

"Impossible."

Witnessing the failure of his Thousand Stars Needle, White Hope Lin's face contorted with disbelief.

He had never imagined that Eldrin Chen's reflexes would be so swift, allowing him to dodge what should have been a certain victory based on intuition alone.

"Clang—"

At that moment, a streak of sword light slashed forth, aiming directly for the face of White Hope Lin.

A flicker of killing intent surfaced in Eldrin Chen's gaze. Although he had anticipated that the Lin Clan would have a hidden card, the appearance of the magical treasure Thousand-Star Needles of the Azure Abyss [a sinister magical weapon that unleashes a dense, uncontrollable storm of needle-like projectiles] still took him by surprise.

While such specialized magical treasures possessed formidable power, they were excessively vicious and, once unleashed, became utterly impossible to control.

In duels of this nature, where swordsmen crossed blades, the prevailing sentiment was usually one of measured restraint, avoiding such ruthless tactics.

Thinking of this, a surge of killing intent mingled with the lingering fear in Eldrin Chen's heart.

At this critical juncture, he could no longer afford to worry about the severe depletion of his True Essence [the refined life-force energy cultivated by adepts]. He once again channeled energy into the Violet Light Mirror, causing it to project another beam of purplish radiance. The violet light swept across the Heavenly Vault [the vast, open sky above], and White Hope Lin's signature magical treasure, the Barrier-Breaking Heart-Lock Spike, was struck down, plummeting to the earth.

With the most troublesome weapon, the Barrier-Breaking Heart-Lock Spike, now neutralized, Eldrin Chen was finally free to engage in a full-scale battle. Using the Ninefold Resonance Bell to shield himself, he summoned forth the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword and launched a fierce slash at White Hope Lin.

Having successfully disarmed his opponent of two key magical treasures in succession, Eldrin Chen found his True Essence severely depleted. However, White Hope Lin was now thrust into an awkward predicament, left without his primary offensive artifacts.

With no other choice, he could only rely on a single defensive magical treasure while desperately maneuvering two inferior flying swords to parry and entangle Eldrin Chen, hoping to leverage his combat experience to find an opening and turn the tide.

However, Eldrin Chen's combat talent far exceeded his expectations. Eldrin consistently managed to find the gaps in his defenses, effortlessly countering his moves and leaving him utterly disheveled, barely able to parry and defend himself.

After they had exchanged over a hundred blows, a glint flashed in Eldrin Chen's eyes. He channeled his energy into the Mingxu Sword, deftly deflecting his opponent's magical weapon, and then unleashed the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword in a sweeping slash.

Although the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword was only a Second Rank Low-Grade artifact, its power far surpassed that of ordinary weapons of its rank. With a single strike, it cleaved through the opponent's defensive magical treasure and shot straight towards him.

"We concede! Do not harm him!"

The situation unfolded too swiftly. Ink Achievement Lin had no time to physically intervene and could only shout out a desperate plea to stop the attack.

Alas, it was already too late. The azure sword radiance manifested by the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword descended with a sharp *clang*, severing one of White Hope Lin's arms.

"Aaaagh—!"

White Hope Lin let out a wretched scream, watching helplessly as his arm was severed by the sword light. Moreover, a torrent of Solar Fire [a blazing yang-attribute flame] surged through his severed meridians and began to infiltrate his physical body.

Acting swiftly, Ink Achievement Lin rushed forward. He used his own True Essence [the refined foundational energy of a cultivator] to suppress the Solar Fire raging within White Hope Lin's meridians, then fed him several medicinal pills. Only then did the victim's condition stabilize somewhat.

In those brief moments, the severed arm of White Hope Lin had already been incinerated by the Solar Fire, reduced to nothing more than a charred stump of blackened flesh.

For a cultivator at the Foundation Establishment Stage, a maimed and incomplete physical form signifies crippled meridians [the energy channels within a cultivator's body], which in turn means the path to the Violet Sanctum is forever sealed. Continue your cultivation journey at audio novel.com.