Chapter 83 : Clash of Divine Thunder and Crimson Flame

The Verdant Wood Cultivable Earth Formation was comprised of two Formation Artifact [specialized magical treasures used to anchor and power a formation]. These two artifacts were the Verdant Wood Divine Thunder Banner and the Cultivable Earth Abyssal Cauldron.

The Cultivable Earth Abyssal Cauldron was a Second Rank Mid-Grade defensive magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators]. It could draw upon the power of the Spiritual Vein [a subterranean current of concentrated spiritual energy] beneath Spirit Apricot Mountain to erect a protective barrier of light, blocking the enemy's attacks.

As for the Verdant Wood Divine Thunder Banner, it was also a Second Rank Mid-Grade Formation Flag. This Formation Artifact could draw upon the Supple Wood Essence Energy [the spiritual essence of the Wood element] from the heavens and earth to unleash Supple Wood Divine Thunder [a divine lightning technique imbued with the power of Wood] against its foes.

The might of this divine thunder was Force Extreme [immensely powerful], its nature truly extraordinary. Each strike was equivalent to a full-force blow from a Foundation Establishment Late Stage cultivator. Relying on the formation's power, this banner could unleash six bolts of divine thunder.

Once those six bolts were exhausted, it would require thirty-six years of accumulation to restore its full power.

Now, as White Compassion Lin activated the Verdant Wood Divine Thunder Banner to counterattack, everyone heard a thunderclap that shattered the clear sky. A verdant bolt of divine lightning shot towards Eldrin Chen.

"Beware!"

The Old Patriarch's expression turned grave as he shouted the warning. In that hurried moment, he could only urge the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade to slash out, instantly dispersing the incoming thunderbolt.

Yet, the Supple Wood Divine Thunder was indeed extraordinary, for it completely drained the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade's power, causing its glow to dim as it flew back, spent.

A flash of triumph crossed White Compassion Lin's face. Seizing the opportunity, he unleashed another bolt of divine thunder. This time, he aimed it directly at the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade itself. Read, share, and discuss at audio~novel.com.

If struck squarely by this divine thunderbolt, the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade would suffer grievous damage, rendering it unusable for several months. This would be akin to temporarily severing one of Eternal Profound Chen's arms.

Ultimately, his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by a practitioner] was not yet potent enough. The spiritual radiance of his Lifebound Magical Treasure [a treasure bound to a cultivator's life force] was slightly damaged, causing Eternal Profound Chen to suffer a minor backlash. The flow of True Essence within him faltered for a moment, preventing him from immediately mustering it for a counterattack.

At this critical juncture, Eldrin Chen reacted with lightning speed. He channeled his energy into the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword, its azure blade-light flashing out in a sweeping arc. Though the sword was also sent flying back, it succeeded in blocking this Supple Wood Divine Thunder [a divine thunder technique imbued with the essence of supple wood].

Seeing his first strike had failed, White Compassion Lin ignored the damage to his meridians [the energy channels within a cultivator's body]. Forcing his True Essence to surge, he activated the Supple Wood Divine Thunder Banner once more, unleashing its final four thunderbolts in a single, desperate volley.

The release of these four bolts was akin to facing the simultaneous divine ability attacks of four Foundation Establishment Late Stage [the third major stage of cultivation] cultivators. An ordinary Foundation Establishment Late Stage practitioner struck by such an assault would likely be crippled on the spot.

Fortunately, Old Patriarch had already suppressed the backlash in an instant. With a swift gesture, he summoned the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation Flags to envelop both of them, then hurled the ancient bronze pagoda forward to meet the onslaught.

"BOOM—"

A deafening crack, like a thunderclap from a clear sky, erupted as the four divine thunderbolts detonated. They shattered the sea of Solar Fire [a divine flame technique], breaching the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation. Yet, their power fell just short, unable to penetrate the protective light barrier conjured by the ancient pagoda.

"Impossible!"

Witnessing how even four Supple Wood Divine Thunder bolts had failed to injure the duo, White Compassion Lin's face contorted with utter despair.

Without the Supple Wood Divine Thunder [a powerful thunder technique imbued with the essence of supple wood] to threaten the two of them, the Verdant Wood Cultivable Earth Formation [a defensive formation that draws power from the earth and verdant wood] was crippled, reduced to half its strength and forced into a purely defensive posture, passively weathering their assault.

Eldrin Chen continued his relentless assault on the formation, while the Old Patriarch seized the moment to swallow a Restoration Pill [a pill that rapidly restores spiritual energy and vitality] to recover his True Essence [the refined, foundational energy cultivated by a practitioner]. After half a Shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours], he had regained seventy to eighty percent of his power. He promptly laid down the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation [a formation that channels scorching solar fire to erode spiritual defenses] and began the arduous process of wearing down the Verdant Wood Cultivable Earth Formation.

The Purple Sun Furnace [a magical furnace that contains and refines purple solar flames], the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword [a sword that channels the power of solar fire to cut through abyssal darkness], the Blazing Heaven Sword [a sword technique that summons a blade of heaven-scorching flame], the Crimson Flame Spirit Blade [a spiritual blade wreathed in crimson flames]—one divine ability and magical treasure after another was unleashed. The onslaught was so fierce that it caused the Verdant Wood Cultivable Earth Formation to tremble violently.

This time, White Compassion Lin was utterly powerless to turn the tide. After withstanding the bombardment for two Shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours], the defensive light curtain of his formation was finally breached, burned through by the Purple Sun True Flame [a pure, potent flame of purple solar essence] cascading down from the Purple Sun Divine Furnace [a divine-grade furnace containing purple solar fire].

"Heaven has forsaken me!"

With his formation shattered, White Compassion Lin coughed up a mouthful of rebellious blood, suffering a severe backlash from the broken spell.

With a final roar of defiance, he desperately summoned a streak of sword light, attempting to seize this last chance to flee for his life.

But the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword transformed into a six Zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] blade of radiant energy and cleaved through the air. With a resonant *clang*, it shattered his defensive magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] and struck him down mid-flight, ending his life in the void.

Since a deep-seated enmity had already been forged, Eldrin Chen naturally had no intention of letting his foe escape alive. With that single sword stroke, he settled accounts with this Foundation Establishment Early Stage [the early phase of the Foundation Establishment realm, where a cultivator solidifies their spiritual foundation] Elder of the Lin Clan.

Simultaneously, Eternal Profound Chen ascended to the summit of Spirit Apricot Mountain [a mountain known for its spiritually nourishing apricot trees] with utmost haste, securing control over the Spirit Spring [a spring brimming with concentrated spiritual energy] and the precious Spirit Apricot Tree [a tree that bears spiritually potent apricots] located within the Hinter Peaks [the secluded peaks at the mountain's core].

After Eldrin Chen finished clearing the battlefield, he discovered Old Patriarch was dismantling the Verdant WoodCultivable Earth Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array that harmonizes wood and earth energies].

Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow and could not help but ask, "We finally captured Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with potent spiritual energy]. Why dismantle the formation?"

"This Verdant WoodCultivable Earth Grand Formation was set up by the Lin Clan. Who knows if they left any hidden backdoors within it?"

Old Patriarch shook his head as he spoke. Then he added, "Moreover, I intend to deploy the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation [a fierce offensive array that channels solar fire to scorch the souls of enemies] here."

Seemingly noticing Eldrin Chen's confusion, Old Patriarch explained further.

"After all, Mordecai Lin came from the Lin Clan. There's no telling what hidden resources or contingencies he might have left for them." Read the full novel exclusively on audio-novel . com.

"To be safe, I plan to use this location's Spiritual Vein [a subterranean conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] to set up the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation before they arrive. By drawing on the power of this Second Rank Low-Grade Spiritual Vein, its potency can be increased by fifty percent, giving us a significant edge in the coming conflict."

After finishing his explanation, Old Patriarch motioned for Eldrin Chen to assist him in laying down the formation.

At that moment, neither of them knew that this very caution exercised by Eternal Profound Chen would later save both their lives.

The members of the Lin Clan could scarcely imagine that in less than half a day, the two had already breached the Mountain Protection Formation [a standard defensive array guarding a mountain stronghold] of Spirit Apricot Mountain [a mountain known for its spirit-nurturing apricot trees]. By all logic, even two or three cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Late Stage would have needed two or three days to break through such a defense.

Verdant Ink Mountain lay over six thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] from Spirit Apricot Mountain. Even if the members of the Lin Clan reacted immediately, it would take the several Foundation Establishment cultivators more than a day to arrive with reinforcements.

Having breached the Verdant Wood Cultivable Earth Formation in half a day, the duo were left with the better part of a day to prepare. This was ample time to set up the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation Flags before the Lin Clan forces could arrive.

By the time the two had finished deploying the Formation Flag and restored their spiritual power [the energy cultivated and used by practitioners of the mystical arts] with the aid of the Spirit Spring, it was already the Chen hour [the period from seven to nine in the morning] of the second day. The four Foundation Establishment Cultivator experts of the Lin Clan arrived belatedly.

Taking in the scene, Ink Achievement Lin felt his heart lurch. Unable to contain himself, his face twisted into a snarl as he roared.

"Eternal Profound Chen you old cur!"

With that furious bellow, Ink Achievement Lin immediately summoned forth his Thunderbolt Demon-Repelling Shuttle and launched it in attack.

Eternal Profound Chen's expression remained unchanged. With a casual flick of his hand, the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation erupted, unleashing a torrent of blazing Solar Fire that instantly engulfed the oncoming Thunderbolt Demon-Repelling Shuttle.

"Not good!"

Seeing this, Ink Achievement Lin could not help but change his expression once more.

This Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation was inherently formidable. Now, anchored by the Spiritual Vein [a subterranean channel of concentrated spiritual energy], its power was unleashed. Although the Second Rank Low-Grade Spiritual Vein could not draw out the formation's ultimate might, it still boosted its potency by fifty percent compared to when Eternal Profound Chen fueled it with his own True Essence [the refined, foundational energy cultivated within a practitioner's body].

Seeing the situation turn dire, the other three cultivators unleashed their magical treasure [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators], attempting to suppress the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation [a formation that conjures solar flames to scorch the soul].

Particularly Ink Respect Lin, this individual actually summoned a Second Rank High-Grade [a classification for high-quality spiritual talismans] spiritual talisman. This talisman was named the Frost Soul True Water Talisman [a talisman that unleashes soul-chilling true water].

This was a treasure the Lin Clan had purchased from the Verdant Sun Sect many years prior, and it was one of the cherished foundational assets hoarded by the Lin Clan cultivators. This artifact could unleash the Frost Soul [a soul-numbing frost] True Water [a primordial, spiritually potent form of water] divine ability, specifically countering fire-attribute divine abilities and magical treasure [enchanted artifacts].

However, although this item was powerful, it was still considerably inferior to the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation. Streams of bone-chilling True Water poured down, landing upon the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation, yet instead of quenching the flames, they acted like oil poured on a fire, causing the Solar Fire [the essence of solar flame] to blaze three times more fiercely.

Seeing that their attacks were Impenetrable [unable to breach the formation's defenses] against the Solar Fire Soul-Burning Formation, and with their magical treasure already trapped within the formation and unable to extricate themselves, Ink Achievement Lin had no choice but to produce the Gale Soul-Severing Sword Talisman [a talisman that materializes a gale-force sword intent to sever souls].

Originally, he had intended to use this talisman as his trump card to utterly annihilate Eternal Profound Chen, but now he was forced to deploy it prematurely. This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio-novel`com.