Chapter 457 : A Desperate Stand Against Demonic Tide

"Strike once more, and you may die."

Seraphina Chen [Eldrin Chen's aunt, a cultivator of the Chen Clan], her face pale as a ghost, grabbed him and held him back.

The great battle in the sky had already escalated to a fever pitch. The Old Patriarch [the elderly leader of the Chen Clan], fighting a single False Infant Soul Realm Demon King [a powerful demonic entity whose strength approaches the Infant Soul Realm but has not fully consolidated it] all by himself, had already suffered grievous wounds.

Sect Master Qian [the leader of the Qian Sect], fighting desperately to hold back another False Infant Soul Realm Demon King, had one of his arms severed clean off.

Kael Chen [a talented cultivator of the Chen Clan, known as 'Remembrance River'], battling a horde of demons alone, was suppressing a group of Demon King [powerful demonic rulers, equivalent to the Golden Core Realm in cultivators] so fiercely they could barely breathe. Seeing that Sect Master Qian was about to be overwhelmed by the False Infant Soul Realm Demon King, he, with the cultivation of merely the Golden Core Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Golden Core Realm], charged toward that demon king with a look of grim resolve.

Although Chu Nation [a nation within the cultivation world] had many Golden Core Cultivator [powerful cultivators who have formed a Golden Core, the core of their spiritual power], each and every one of them was now mired in an unprecedented, bitter struggle.

"Alas—"

Ethan Chen [a young cultivator of the Chen Clan, known as 'Worthy Night'], gazing at the battlefield in the sky, spoke with a touch of wild abandon: "In this life, one must act for a cause. If my strength can aid Uncle Eldrin [Eldrin Chen, a revered elder of the Chen Clan] even a little, what does death matter?"

With those words, he stepped forward once more. His spiritual energy [the vital force used for cultivation and magic] was nearly depleted; another strike would truly be a final, desperate blow.

Yet, in that very instant, light flared from the distant Teleportation Formation [a magical array designed for instantaneous travel across great distances]. Seven figures emerged, stepping forth from the glowing Teleportation Formation.

These seven individuals were respectively Patriarch Mo-ink, the Lin Clan Patriarch of Qi Nation, Desert River Yun, and four other top-tier Golden Core Cultivators [cultivators who have condensed a Golden Core, a major milestone].

That Patriarch Mo-ink had now cultivated his power to the Golden Core 9th Tier. The moment he landed, his gaze swept across the battlefield, and with a resonant *shing*, his Immortal Sword [a legendary blade wielded by powerful cultivators] cleaved through the air.

The seven cultivators who arrived together all took action. The weakest among them had already reached the Golden Core Late Stage, and their entry into the fray immediately stabilized the chaotic situation.

"Your timing is impeccable."

Seeing the reinforcements arrive, the Old Patriarch finally allowed himself a sigh of relief. The fact that Patriarch Mo-ink and the others could spare their hands to aid them was an excellent sign—it meant the Beast Tide [a massive, chaotic invasion of demonic beasts] in Qi Nation had been quelled.

The hearts of the Demon Race forces present sank slightly. The two Demon Emperors [rulers among demonkind, possessing immense power] in particular, their gazes turning icy cold.

"We cannot let this drag on."

The Hulking Demon Emperor mused inwardly. No sooner had the thought formed than he once again marshaled his full demonic power, astonishingly managing to suppress both Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang single-handedly.

Seizing the opening, the Female Demon Emperor simultaneously deployed her Immortal Sword and unleashed an Innate Great God Ability [a supreme divine technique inherent to a powerful being] to counter the Sun and Moon Twin Wheels and the Heaven's Vault Mirror. With her other hand, she conjured and hurled down a myriad of radiant, calamitous beams.

"Thousandfold Calamity Light [a divine technique manifesting as countless beams of destructive, tribulation-like light]!"

Witnessing the myriad rays of calamitous light surging forth, Old Patriarch felt his heart lurch. This 'Thousandfold Calamity Light' was one of the innate divine abilities of the Golden Rhino Bloodline. Unleashed with the cultivation base of an Infant Soul Demon Emperor, he feared none among those present could withstand it.

The strike was too sudden, a flash of lightning in the dark. In that instant, many suffered grievous wounds.

After the blow, Eldrin Chen swept his gaze across the scene. He saw Xavier Xu's body half-shattered, a Golden Core True Person from the Firmament Sword Sect reduced to ashes by the tribulation, and the Bright Wilderness True Person from the Verdant Azure Immortal Sect had fallen on the spot.

"We cannot fight like this."

Seeing the heavy losses everyone had sustained just to hold back the Golden Core Demon King, Eldrin Chen could no longer afford to merely skirmish and harass.

He ordered Exquisite Jiang to block the Hulking Demon Emperor. Then, he unfurled the Polarity Void Mirror. In that instant, vast quantities of Polarity Energy erupted, transforming into the Polarity Annihilation Primordial Magnetic Divine Light that cleaved towards the Female Demon Emperor.

"I've been waiting for you."

The Female Demon Emperor sneered coldly. At this moment, she was in the explosive phase of her Infant Soul Essence, her spiritual power already rivaling the third tier of the Infant Soul realm. She was eager for Eldrin Chen to face her head-on.

In that very heartbeat, she raised her hand and unleashed the Immortal Sword divine ability, its relentless assault hammering against Eldrin Chen.

Fortunately, the Polarity Void Mirror possessed extraordinary power and greatly countered the Female Demon Emperor's Immortal Sword technique. Otherwise, Eldrin Chen would have stood no chance against her.

Just as the two sides were locked in a stalemate, amidst the chaotic battlefield, a False Infant Soul Realm Demon King suddenly opened its eyes. In that instant, it raised its hand and unleashed a golden thunder pearl.

The pearl crackled with lightning, resembling a miniature golden sun of Thunderclap. It was hurled directly towards Eldrin Chen.

"Beware! It's a Fifth Rank Divine Thunder Pearl [a powerful, single-use artifact that unleashes devastating heavenly thunder]!"

The pupils of the allied cultivators contracted sharply. This sudden ambush by the False Infant Soul Realm Demon King was treacherous. The unleashed power of the Fifth Rank Divine Thunder Pearl was potent enough to severely injure even a true Infant Soul Cultivator.

If the attack succeeded, Eldrin Chen himself would be in grave danger of being crippled or slain.

Acting on pure instinct, the others desperately tried to intercept, but the False Infant Soul Realm Demon King had prepared for this. It stubbornly held their counterattacks at bay, determined to launch that Fifth Rank divine thunder.

At this critical moment, Eldrin Chen was fully occupied, hard-pressed by the relentless assault of the Female Demon Emperor, and found himself unable to disengage.

In that fleeting heartbeat, Lior Chen soared into the air. He was merely a cultivator at the Golden Core Early Stage, yet he charged forward with the resolve of one marching to his doom, intent on intercepting the Fifth Rank divine thunder with his own body.

"Hmph—"

The False Infant Soul Realm Demon King's gaze flickered with annoyance. If the divine thunder detonated prematurely upon Lior Chen, the young man would undoubtedly be obliterated. However, the blast would then be too distant to effectively harm Eldrin Chen.

With this thought, it chose to endure a direct strike from Kael Chen's sword, forcibly reversing the trajectory of its Immortal Sword to unleash a counter-slash. With a resounding *clang*, it cleaved Lior Chen in two.

However, this desperate block managed to delay the Fifth Rank Divine Thunder Pearl [a powerful, single-use artifact that unleashes a devastating thunderbolt] for the briefest of moments.

"Uncle Lior!"

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted violently. Finally regaining his breath, he summoned the power of Polarity [the fundamental duality of Yin and Yang] and executed the Void Escape [a technique to instantaneously traverse through the fabric of space]. He vanished, slipping through the void to evade the Five Elements Divine Thunder [a thunderous attack harnessing the power of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth] and reappeared directly before the False Infant Soul Realm Demon King [a demonic entity possessing power equivalent to the early Infant Soul stage].

His first act was to sweep his sleeve, ensnaring Lior Chen's Golden Core [the solidified core of spiritual energy formed at the Golden Core stage]. Then, with a sharp *shing*, his Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword descended, cleanly bisecting the False Infant Soul Realm Demon King with a single, devastating stroke.

Simultaneously, the distant void erupted. The Fifth Rank Divine Thunder Pearl, having lost its original target in Eldrin Chen, was seized upon by Exquisite Jiang who grasped the fleeting opportunity to wrest control.

With a sweep of her Two Polarities Divine Light [a radiant beam embodying the opposing yet complementary forces of creation and dissolution], she astonishingly redirected the Fifth Rank Divine Thunder Pearl to crash directly into the Female Demon Emperor.

"Aaaargh—!"

Struck by her own hidden weapon, the Female Demon Emperor suffered another grievous wound. Her physical form was torn open, revealing deep, horrific lacerations.

Already maimed by Eldrin Chen's earlier strike that severed her arm, this fresh trauma pushed her injuries to a critical state. Her Infant Soul Essence [the condensed spiritual essence that forms the core of an Infant Soul cultivator's power] was now utterly depleted.

Now, after suffering successive heavy blows, her strength had diminished by forty to fifty percent. Faced with the combined assault of Eldrin Chen and several Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasures [supreme-grade magical artifacts specifically designed to suppress demonic beings], she was utterly overwhelmed and fell into a disadvantageous position.

"My Lady!"

The Golden Rhino Demon Emperor [a powerful demon sovereign with the form and attributes of a golden rhinoceros] suddenly changed expression. He frantically unleashed his Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact] and divine abilities, desperately trying to suppress the two cultivators and the several Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasures.

Alas, at this moment, he was like a single warrior facing many hands; it was impossible for him to completely subdue them both.

This was an extremely precarious situation. If he could not suppress them, once his Infant Soul Essence [the condensed spiritual core of a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage] was exhausted, he would be forced into a position of complete inferiority.

"Damned Human Race! How can they possess so many Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasures?"

The Golden Rhino Demon Emperor's expression shifted repeatedly. Finally, he looked towards the distant void and declared, "If the lords of Azure Wave Lake [a mystical lake domain] do not intervene now, this old one will have no choice but to withdraw."

"There are still reinforcements?"

Eldrin Chen lifted his gaze, and his heart sank slightly.

From the distant void, one after another, colossal figures that blotted out the sky descended, spiraling down from the Nine Heavens Above [the highest celestial realms].

Directly ahead, a colossal Crimson Flood Dragon [a powerful serpentine water demon] a thousand Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] in size surged through the sky. To its left, a Snow White Frost Flood Dragon [a frost-aspected flood dragon] bared its fangs and claws, while to its right, an Earthen Yellow Flood Dragon [an earth-aspected flood dragon] coiled and descended.

Furthermore, a Purple Thunder Dragon [a dragon imbued with the power of violet lightning], wreathed in crackling Thunderclap [a thunder-based magical technique], spiraled from the misty clouds, revealing a pair of draconic eyes that blazed like twin violet suns.