Chapter 149 : A Desperate Strike of Crimson Essence

This was Lyra Jiang's all-out strike, a sword strike forged by channeling a wisp of her own Lifebound Essence Blood [the vital, cultivation-bound blood essence of a cultivator, precious and difficult to replenish] into a Third Rank precious jade as its vessel.

A blow of such magnitude transcended the limits of the Purple Mansion realm. Even a Golden Core cultivator would furrow their brow and need to treat it with caution.

As the sword radiance cleaved towards it, the Purple-Spotted Wolf King's face was etched with pure terror.

It had never imagined that Lyra Jiang would pay such a steep price, consuming her Lifebound Essence Blood to fuse into this single sword strike.

Lifebound Essence Blood was far too precious. Even with Lyra Jiang's cultivation level, losing a single wisp would require thirty years to recover.

It was precisely because of this that the power of this strike was boundless, far surpassing Yang the Ancient Ancestor's Heaven's Ruin Immortal-Slaying Sword Talisman. In fact, its force was equivalent to the desperate, all-consuming strike of a Golden Core cultivator paying a grievous price.

In its panic, the Purple-Spotted Wolf King sought to activate its Purple-Gold Heavenly Aegis Canopy to block, only to find it unresponsive. It then realized its defensive magical treasure had been shattered and was temporarily unusable.

Even its other treasures and divine abilities were fully occupied dealing with Xu and Yang, Two Ancient Ancestors. With no treasure to wield, it could only hastily spit out its Demonic Core [the condensed energy core of a demonic beast, its source of power and life] in a desperate attempt to parry the blow.

"*Clang—!*"

This sword strike could slay anything below the Golden Core realm in a single blow. How could a mere Demonic Core hope to withstand it? Find this and other novels at audio~novel.com.

With a single, piercing cry of steel, a brilliant arc of sword radiance cleaved the heavens. It sheared through everything in its path with a resonant *clang*, bisecting the Purple-Spotted Wolf King [a powerful lupine demonic beast with distinctive purple markings] in one fell swoop.

The abrupt and bewildering death of the Purple-Spotted Wolf King left everyone momentarily stunned. None could have anticipated that a beast whose combat prowess rivaled four or five Purple Palace, Early Stage [the initial phase of the Purple Mansion cultivation realm] cultivators would be slain so swiftly. Yang the Ancient Ancestor was the first to regain his wits. He immediately summoned his Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword [a sword imbued with the power of thunder and flame] and launched a fierce strike towards the Crimson Flame Serpent [a massive serpent demon wreathed in crimson fire].

The sudden demise of the most formidable foe, the Purple-Spotted Wolf King, presented a golden opportunity. The group quickly rallied, their resolve hardening to exterminate the remaining two Purple Mansion Demonic Beast [demonic beasts possessing power equivalent to the Purple Mansion realm] utterly.

The Golden-Horned Savage Ox [a brutish ox demon with golden horns] and the Crimson Flame Serpent were filled with disbelief, but by the time they thought to flee, it was far too late.

With two powerful human Purple Palace, Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Purple Mansion cultivation realm] experts now freed to act, and with two Second Rank High Grade Magical Tool [exceptionally powerful enchanted artifacts] in their hands, the demons' fate was sealed—there was nowhere for them to run.

Yang the Ancient Ancestor channeled his power into the Mountain-Cleaving Soul-Severing Axe [a mighty axe capable of sundering mountains and severing souls], delivering the final blow to the Golden-Horned Savage Ox. A collective sigh of profound relief washed over the group. Only then could they turn their full attention to slaughtering the swarms of lower-tier Demonic Beast [creatures corrupted by demonic energy].

In merely half a Shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours], the Demonic Beast horde had completely scattered and fled into the depths of the Great Wilderness [a vast, untamed, and perilous expanse of land]. After swiftly looting the battlefield, the victors returned to the relative safety of the Fengyang Trading Post [a fortified trading outpost].

Back within the walls of Fengyang Trading Post, Eldrin Chen and the four Purple Mansion Ancestor [venerated elders who have reached the Purple Mansion realm] did not pause to rest. They immediately set about tallying the spoils of the battle.

Yang the Ancient Ancestor wore a satisfied smile and spoke to Eldrin Chen with genuine courtesy, "For this victory, we owe you our deepest thanks."

"Had you not slain the Purple-Spotted Wolf King when you did, our best outcome would likely have been a Pyrrhic victory, bought with terrible cost."

"You flatter me, Senior. I merely relied on the contingency left behind by Jiang the Ancient Ancestor to achieve this outcome,"

Eldrin Chen replied with humility. He understood clearly that the primary reason this Ancestor was treating him so amiably was most likely the white jade bracelet gifted to him by Lyra Jiang.

Yang the Ancient Ancestor nodded, smiling as he retrieved the spoils of the battle and spoke.

"Although we have weathered this crisis for now, the Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic, devastating invasion by monstrous beasts] has not yet concluded."

"Let us first divide these treasures to bolster our strength. Once the Beast Tide Calamity has truly ended, we can then exchange these items amongst ourselves based on individual merit and contribution."

The assembled cultivators nodded in agreement, their eyes alight with anticipation as they gazed upon the array of treasures before them.

This great battle had resulted in the slaying of five Purple Mansion [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual mansion within the dantian] experts from the Demonic Tribe [a collective term for sentient, monstrous beast races], a resounding victory that naturally yielded immense rewards.

Setting aside the five Purple Mansion Demonic Core [the condensed spiritual core of a Purple Mansion realm demonic beast, a valuable cultivation resource] for the moment, the number of high-grade magical treasures they had seized was considerable. These included the Separated Flame Heart-Piercing Needle, the Xuluo Diamond Banner, the Wolf Fang Magical Treasure, the Azure-Gold War Spear, the Flying Sword [a sword enchanted for aerial combat and control] that belonged to the Purple-Spotted Wolf King, and finally, the Purple-Gold Heavenly Aegis Canopy.

The Crimson Flame Serpent had also possessed two Third Rank Magical Treasure [magical artifacts of power suitable for the Purple Mansion realm]. However, that demonic beast had chosen defiance unto death, self-destructing both of its treasures during the final clash, a loss that pained the hearts of all present.

Among these treasures, the most precious was undoubtedly the Purple-Gold Heavenly Aegis Canopy, the sole Third Rank High Grade [denoting the peak quality within the Third Rank/Purple Mansion tier] artifact possessed by the Purple-Spotted Wolf King.

After deliberating on the distribution of the treasures, the group agreed that the Purple-Gold Heavenly Aegis Canopy [a powerful defensive magical treasure] should be allocated to Yang the Ancient Ancestor, whose mana reserves were the most profound, as only he could unleash the full defensive potential of this artifact.

Taking the Purple-Gold Heavenly Aegis Canopy, Yang the Ancient Ancestor said with evident pleasure, "The defensive power of this canopy is boundless. Since you all are willing to entrust it to this old man, I shall, with some embarrassment, make use of it for the time being."

"There is no need for such modesty," Xavier Xu interjected, his expression turning grave. "The defensive prowess of this treasure is extraordinary. Previously, the Purple-Spotted Wolf King relied upon it to barely withstand the techniques of Jiang the Ancient Ancestor."

"With this treasure in your possession, coupled with your Mountain-Cleaving Soul-Severing Axe [a mighty axe capable of sundering mountains and severing souls], you could even hold your ground, if only briefly, against a Golden Core [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a solidified golden core of power] cultivator. In the battles to come, it falls upon you to stand at the forefront."

His words cast a solemn air over the assembly. Although the Purple-Spotted Wolf King had been dealt with, the siege upon Celestial Ruins Mountain was far from resolved.

With Yang the Ancient Ancestor claiming the Purple-Gold Heavenly Aegis Canopy, Xavier Xu took the sole Second Rank Middle Grade Flying Sword [a sword enchanted for flight and combat]. For the best reading experience, visit audio-novel-dot-com.

Already wielding the peerlessly offensive Heavenly Gold Fire Dragon Shears, he lacked not for means of attack. Now, with this Flying Sword in hand, his flight speed would increase dramatically, granting him greater fluidity and ease in combat.

Among the remaining treasures, the Wolf Fang Magical Treasure was a specialized artifact of the Demon Wolf Tribe, requiring the bloodline of a demon wolf to unleash its full power, thus relegating it to the status of a quasi-Third Rank item.

The Azure-Gold War Spear was also crafted from Third Rank materials, but its crude forging techniques limited its potency to that of a quasi-Third Rank weapon as well, rendering both of limited practical use.

Only the Separated Flame Heart-Piercing Needle [a needle imbued with the power of Separated Flame to pierce defenses and the heart] and the Xuluo Diamond Banner [a banner famed for its diamond-hard defensive properties] held significant potential to bolster the group's combat strength.

Although the Xuluo Diamond Banner [a powerful banner artifact] possessed formidable power, it also consumed a significantly greater amount of mana. Naturally, it fell into the hands of Yang Darius.

Eldrin Chen's True Essence [the refined spiritual energy of a cultivator] and spiritual sense were insufficient; he had no remaining strength to activate a fourth Third Rank Magical Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact]. Therefore, he handed the Separated Flame Heart-Piercing Needle [a needle-type treasure imbued with Separated Flame energy] over to the Old Patriarch.

The Old Patriarch replaced the First Wood Verdant Spirit Pearl [a pearl treasure containing the essence of First Wood] and gave this treasure to Yang Yuanhe. The First Wood Verdant Spirit Pearl was a Wood and Water attribute magical treasure, perfectly suited for Yang Yuanhe to wield.

After the group finished distributing the treasures and suppressed their excitement, Yang the Ancient Ancestor spoke.

"Esteemed friends, although we have now quelled this flanking force led by the Purple-Spotted Wolf King [a powerful demonic wolf monarch], the Beast Tide Calamity [a massive invasion by demonic beasts] is far from over."

"The battle at Celestial Ruins Mountain remains locked in a stalemate. Now that our force here is freed up to reinforce them, perhaps we can tip the scales of this conflict."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen nodded repeatedly in agreement.

He understood clearly that their current victory was largely due to the Purple-Spotted Wolf King's overeagerness to secure a quick triumph.

Had the Purple-Spotted Wolf King not divided its forces and instead thrown its full might against Yuyang Market, they would likely still be locked in a bitter struggle.

Although Yuyang Market held a reserve of one hundred thousand Spirit Stone [minerals that store spiritual energy, used for cultivation and currency], it would have struggled to withstand the Purple-Spotted Wolf King indefinitely. However, by the time reinforcements arrived from Feng and Ling Counties, the Purple-Spotted Wolf King might not have been able to breach the strategically crucial Yuyang Market anyway.

This is primarily because low-tier Demonic Beast [monstrous creatures that cultivate and possess spiritual energy] possess only rudimentary intelligence. While they harbor a certain degree of spiritual awareness, their wisdom scarcely surpasses that of ordinary beasts. Furthermore, many of these creatures are natural predators to one another within their own ranks, and crucially, a Demonic Beast horde lacks any organized supply lines for provisions or fodder. Your portal to cultivation novels: audi novel.com.