Chapter 124 : Clash of Divine Thunder and Magical Treasures

With this resolve burning in his heart, Eldrin Chen decided he would exhaust every means at his disposal to shatter the deadlock.

Above his head, the Bell of Nine Echoes unfurled its radiant canopy, steadfastly blocking Wei Mingyuan's relentless assaults. Seizing the moment, he then summoned forth the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss. With a mighty slash, he sent Severus's Life-Bound Magical Treasure, the Heaven's Net Blade, flying through the air.

"BOOM—"

A deafening explosion tore through the air. Capitalizing on the opening, Eldrin Chen channeled his power, unleashing both the Blazing Heaven Sword and the Metallic Essence Divine Thunder divine abilities directly at Severus. His intent was clear: eliminate the weaker foe first.

Driven by Eldrin Chen's formidable mana, which rivaled that of a Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer cultivator, the twin onslaught of divine abilities was overwhelming. Severus, even with all his tricks expended, found himself utterly unable to withstand it. Desperation filled his voice as he cried out to Wei Mingyuan for aid.

"Senior Brother, save me!"

"Do not panic!"

Severus desperately commanded a Flying Sword and a treasure pearl—both Second Rank High Grade Magical Tool—to assail the Bell of Nine Echoes. Their relentless strikes caused the protective bell's radiance to shudder violently. Simultaneously, he raised a hand, activating the Yang Fire Divine Thunder Net.

Upon the Yang Fire Divine Thunder Net, one hundred and eight first-rank divine thunderbolts coalesced and unified, transforming into three Second Rank High Grade Yang Fire Divine Thunder.

The air was suddenly split by three peals of thunder. From the divine net, three bolts of heavenly fire erupted and crashed down with devastating force. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio . novel . com.

Two of the divine thunderbolts intercepted Eldrin Chen's Golden Radiance Blazing Fire Sword and Metallic Essence Divine Thunder, while the final one crashed directly onto the Bell of Nine Echoes, causing its protective light barrier to tremble violently.

Fortunately, the Bell of Nine Echoes proved its worth, forged with copious amounts of refined Mysterious Iron essence. Its power stood at the pinnacle among Defensive Magical Tool, managing to withstand the assault from two magical tools and the Yang Fire Divine Thunder.

It was in that precise moment that Eldrin Chen's eyes snapped open. With a flick of his wrist, he unleashed his true trump card.

"*Clang—*"

A resonant sword cry pierced the air as a blade radiance, wreathed in black-gold thunderbolt flames, unfurled and shot straight towards Wei Mingyuan.

The instant Wei Mingyuan beheld this sword light, his face contorted in terror, and a cry of alarm escaped his lips.

"The Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword!"

An eighteen-zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] sword aura, chasing stars and eclipsing the moon like a snarling black dragon, crossed a hundred zhang of empty space in a flash, cleaving down upon Wei Mingyuan.

The strike caught him utterly off guard. With the Second Rank High Grade Defensive Magical Tool, the Diamond Seal, hovering above his head, Wei Mingyuan had thought himself impregnable. He never anticipated Eldrin Chen would suddenly reveal this lethal gambit.

In his frantic haste, he could only toss out a few second-rank treasure talismans, hoping to buy a mere moment's respite. Alas, it was utterly futile.

In a single clash, the Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword cleaved through all obstacles. Wei Mingyuan managed to activate only one Talisman [a paper or jade slip inscribed with a spell] before his Defensive Magical Tool was shattered, and he himself was bisected on the spot.

"If only my Green Sun True Flame Talisman were still here…"

This bitter thought of regret flashed through Wei Mingyuan's mind in his final moment.

Had he not been so careless, had he kept the three charges of Yang Fire Divine Thunder [a powerful thunder technique of the Yang Fire element] stored within his Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force], he might have been able to slightly parry the lethal edge of the Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword, preserving his life for a chance to counterattack.

Pitifully, this man's full strength never had a chance to manifest. Slain by a single ambush, the potential of his pills, magical tools, and Spirit Talisman remained utterly untapped.

"Wei Alistair!"

Witnessing Wei Mingyuan's instant demise, Severus let out a cry of stunned disbelief.

He reacted immediately, summoning his magical treasure to flee. But how could his speed possibly outpace the Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword?

Eldrin Chen channeled his power into the Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword once more. The obsidian-and-gold sword aura surged anew, traversing a thousand Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] of void in an instant to strike down Severus mid-air.

After these two strikes, Eldrin Chen nearly collapsed. Though formidable, each activation of the Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword consumed a full fifth of his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by a practitioner].

With merely two strikes, he had drained four-tenths of his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated within a practitioner's body], leaving a palpable sense of depletion that surged through his being.

"Huff—"

Eldrin Chen swallowed a Qi Restoration Pill [a pill that restores spiritual energy] to recover a portion of his True Essence, a flicker of lingering dread crossing his features.

That Wei Mingyuan's True Essence had been seventy to eighty percent more profound than his own, his strength teetering on the very threshold of the Purple Mansion Realm [a major realm of cultivation where one forms a spiritual palace within]. Had it not been for the element of surprise granted by the Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword, Eldrin doubted he could have prevailed.

Even with the advantage of a sneak attack, the victory had cost him nearly ninety percent of his True Essence, draining him to the very brink of exhaustion.

"His True Essence was extraordinarily profound, clearly indicating he had attempted a Purple Mansion breakthrough more than once. Furthermore, he wielded the Green Sun Sect's signature Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to its user's life force]. He likely possesses a formidable background." Immerse yourself in the complete world at @udio-novel.com.

"It seems unwise to linger here."

Eldrin Chen collected the two men's Storage Bag [a spatial pouch for storing items] and treasures. With a flick of flame, he reduced their remains to ashes, scattering them to the winds over the vast and desolate Great Wilderness as he hastily flew towards Heaven's Ruin Mountain.

A deep unease settled in his heart. He feared that Wei Mingyuan had powerful backers, and that the Green Sun Sect might trace his identity. The only place that offered a semblance of safety now was Heaven's Ruin Mountain.

Prioritizing caution, he even summoned the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Boat. Covering twenty thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] in a single day, he traversed eighty to ninety thousand Li-length of the Great Wilderness in merely four or five days. Crossing the Desolate Sun Mountain Range, he finally arrived at the gates of Heaven's Ruin Mountain.

Upon arriving at Celestial Ruins Mountain, he did not linger. He went straight to the entrance of Lyra Jiang's Cultivation Cave [a secluded dwelling place for meditation and cultivation].

"What is the matter?"

The moment Lyra Jiang saw him, a smile touched the corners of her eyes. Yet, sensing his unsettled demeanor, she inquired with concern.

Eldrin Chen steadied his emotions. He produced the Storage Bag [a spatial pouch for holding items] belonging to Wei Mingyuan and his companion, speaking with a trace of unease.

"I fear I may have stirred up serious trouble."

"This person was likely a descendant of Wei Chongyang, the Purple Mansion [a major stage of cultivation where one forms a spiritual core] cultivator from the Green Sun Sect."

After listening to his account, Lyra Jiang replied with a gentle smile.

She took Wei Mingyuan's Storage Bag, effortlessly dispelling the restrictive seals upon it. From within, she retrieved an unremarkable small wooden plaque and said with a smile.

"There. The matter is resolved."

"What?"

Eldrin Chen was momentarily stunned, his mind still reeling from the unease that gripped him.

Watching his bewildered expression, Lyra Jiang found his flustered look rather endearing and couldn't help but let out a soft, melodic laugh. She then held up the plaque and explained.

"This object is a Soul-Tracking Life Plaque [a mystical artifact used to track the location of a linked item or person]. It can be used to locate a Storage Bag [a spatial pouch used by cultivators to store items]. It comes in a pair, mother and child pieces; they can pinpoint each other's location even across hundreds of thousands of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. Typically, only major sects issue these to their most important members."

"After the Green Sun Sect discovered that Wei Mingyuan's soul lamp [a magical lamp that extinguishes upon the death of its linked individual] had gone out, they would swiftly use this Soul-Tracking Life Plaque to find the enemy's location."

"You fled to Celestial Ruins Mountain on the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Boat [a spirit boat imbued with a powerful demon-slaying formation], a vessel whose speed rivals that of a Purple Mansion Cultivator [a cultivator who has opened their third major energy center, the Purple Mansion]. The Green Sun Sect most likely already assumes you are one of my Purple Mansion experts from Celestial Ruins Mountain. Now that this Soul-Tracking Life Plaque is in my possession, it all but confirms their suspicion."

After hearing her explanation, Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment, a trace of worry still lingering in his voice. "Could this Soul-Tracking Life Plaque falling into your hands bring trouble upon you?"

"Are you worried about me?"

Lyra Jiang's eyes sparkled, her bright gaze brimming with amusement that made Eldrin Chen feel somewhat flustered.

Seeing Eldrin Chen's embarrassed state, the corner of her lips curled into a slight smile before she continued.

"Set your mind at ease. That Wei Chongyang couldn't even defeat a disciple under my tutelage. He wouldn't dare cause trouble for me even if he had ten times the courage."

"Moreover, this individual harbors old grievances with your Chen Clan as well. Your enmity with him is not a case of picking the wrong foe."

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted subtly, and he couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean by that?" Read, share, and discuss at audio-novel.com.