Chapter 141 : The Patriarch's Final Gambit

This demon beast truly lived up to its status as a Violet Sanctum Mid Stage [the fourth major realm of cultivation] great demon. Even while besieged by four cultivators, it remained composed and at ease. Once it activated its divine ability [a supernatural power cultivated through esoteric arts], its speed became truly staggering, akin to chasing stars and overtaking the moon, leaving the others utterly unable to keep pace.

Watching it on the verge of escape, Patriarch Yang [the patriarch of the Yang Clan] finally made his decision, his gaze turning icy cold.

"Wretched fiend, if I let you escape today, you will surely become a calamity in the future."

"Today, you shall not escape!"

With a thunderous shout, Patriarch Yang actually produced a precious talisman [a single-use magical item inscribed with powerful spells].

The talisman shimmered with a dazzling sword radiance. Upon activation, it transformed into a supremely brilliant sword energy [a solidified blade of spiritual power], which shot forth like a comet chasing the moon, pursuing the demon with impossible speed.

This precious talisman was named the 'Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword Talisman' [a talisman that manifests a sword capable of slaying immortal beings]. It was a rare and valuable Third Rank Superior Grade [a high-quality item from the third tier of the cultivation item grading system] treasure. It was a Slaughter [a divine ability focused on pure destructive power] talisman that Exquisite Jiang [a powerful female cultivator] had personally crafted, using her own Immortal Sword [a sword of immortal grade] as the template.

Patriarch Yang had acquired this treasure sixty years ago at the Chu Nation Violet Sanctum Barter Convention [a grand trading event for cultivators of the Violet Sanctum realm and above], and had kept it as his ultimate trump card, reserved for a true life-or-death crisis.

Now, faced with the Thunderclap Great Roc's [a powerful avian demon beast] extreme speed—and knowing that if left alive, it would become a major threat during the impending Beast Tide [a periodic, massive invasion of demon beasts]—Patriarch Yang could no longer afford to hold back.

As Patriarch Yang channeled his power into the Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword Talisman, a sword energy hundreds of Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] long blossomed in the void. It was as if the Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword itself had returned to the mortal realm. In an instant, it traversed the void and materialized directly in the path of the fleeing Thunderclap Great Roc. This chapter appears courtesy of audio novel.com.

This was no ordinary strike, but an attack equivalent to Exquisite Jiang [the formidable female cultivator] pouring forth her full power. The Immortal Sword [a sword of legendary, immortal-grade power] cleaved through the void, its arrival causing the Thunderclap Great Roc [a massive, lightning-wreathed demonic bird] to cry out in a voice laced with primal fear.

Thirty years prior, Exquisite Jiang had already planted the seed of terror deep within its heart.

Back then, it had allied with the Purple-Spotted Wolf King [a cunning and powerful wolf demon]. Three cultivators at the Violet Sanctum Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Violet Sanctum realm] and one powerful beast at the Violet Sanctum Late Stage [the late phase of the Violet Sanctum realm] had surrounded Exquisite Jiang. Not only had they failed to defeat her, but she had slain two of their number.

Had the Purple-Spotted Wolf King not borne the brunt of her assault, the great roc would have long since become a corpse bleaching in the Great Wasteland [a vast and perilous wilderness].

In truth, another Thunderclap Great Roc at the Violet Sanctum Mid Stage had been the one slain by Exquisite Jiang that day. It had even activated its Lightning Flash Escape [a divine ability for swift flight], yet still failed to preserve its life.

Now, witnessing the Heavenly Ruins Mountain [a legendary, ruin-strewn peak] Immortal Sword's sword energy [a condensed blade of destructive force] sweeping towards it, the Thunderclap Great Roc fled for its life while frantically activating several defensive treasures and divine abilities.

Yet, in an instant, the Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword [a sword famed for slaying immortal beings] grievously wounded the Violet Calamity Tribulation Thunder Pearl [a pearl that harnesses calamitous thunder], shattered the Thunderbolt Heavenly Thunder Tribulation Seal [a defensive seal of concentrated heavenly thunder], and even breached its defensive Treasure Seal [a protective magical seal]. Only after the sword energy tore a deep gash across its flesh did its remaining power finally dissipate.

This single blow had severely wounded the Thunderclap Great Roc, disrupting its Lightning Flash Escape divine ability and causing its speed to plummet.

Seizing this opportunity, Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a rising star cultivator] activated a divine ability aboard the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Ship [a magical treasure ship designed for slaying demons]. The ship's own Lightning Flash Escape was engaged, instantly tripling its velocity and allowing it to close the distance with the great roc in a heartbeat.

To prevent the beast's escape, Eldrin Chen joined forces with the several Foundation Establishment Cultivator [cultivators at the Foundation Establishment realm] on the treasure ship to activate the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword Formation [a powerful sword formation aligned with seven stars].

A brilliant sword energy [a concentrated blade of spiritual power] cleaved through the void, a strike equivalent to the full-force attack of a Violet Sanctum Mid Stage cultivator. This powerful Great God Ability descended directly towards the head of the Thunderclap Great Roc.

The Thunderclap Great Roc proved worthy of its Violet Sanctum Mid Stage demonic beast status. Even grievously wounded, it showed no fear. It unleashed its innate divine ability, the Thunderbolt Heavenly Thunder Tribulation Seal, which met the attack with a resounding *clang*, blocking the blow.

Although it was not injured by the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword Formation, the Demonic Roc was still momentarily halted.

At that very moment, the highest-level cultivator present, Patriarch Yang, was the first to catch up. With a flick of his hand, he summoned his 'Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword'. The sword's energy blazed with unparalleled brilliance as it soared through the air, aiming to bisect the Thunderclap Great Roc.

The speed of a Lifebound Immortal Sword [a sword bonded to a cultivator's life force] is extreme. The Thunderclap Great Roc found it nearly impossible to evade. Its defensive magical treasure [an enchanted artifact] was shattered, and its signature treasure, the 'Violet Calamity Tribulation Thunder Pearl', was also significantly damaged. Left with no choice, it spat out its Demon Core [the condensed spiritual essence of a demonic beast] to parry the strike.

This clash represented the pinnacle of power from both sides. Thunder roared and lightning flashed as a force capable of shattering heaven and earth erupted. The collision's shockwave ravaged the earth for nearly a thousand Zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters].

Neither side emerged unscathed. The Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword was struck by the Demon Core, its radiance dimming. Upon the Demon Core itself, a faint, shallow sword scar now marred its surface.

Although it managed to injure the Thunderbolt Blazing Fire Sword using the power of its Demon Core, the Thunderclap Great Roc's own Demon Core suffered considerable damage in return.

Heart aching with the loss, it swallowed its Demon Core and immediately wheeled around, attempting to flee in a different direction.

But Path Abyss Xu had already closed the distance. Channeling the Bulwark Earth Divine Thunder, he sent a bolt of thunder spanning ten thousand Zhang-length of empty space. The roar of its passage could be heard clearly even from several dozen Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] away.

The Thunderclap Great Roc dared not face it head-on and could only wheel around to flee in another direction. Seizing this opportunity, the Old Patriarch once more channeled the Crimson Gold God-Slaying Sword Aura, forcing the demonic beast into yet another desperate evasive turn.

"You cannot escape."

Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy. Grasping this pivotal moment, he unleashed the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword, sending it cleaving through the air.

The thirty-zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] azure sword energy tore through the Heavenly Vault and struck directly at the Thunderclap Great Roc's flanks. By now, the Thunderclap Great Roc was nearing its end.

Its magical treasures were damaged, its mana nearly exhausted. Even with its astonishing escape techniques, having its Thunderclap and Lightning Flash divine ability broken had left it with almost no path to survival.

The sword energy sliced across the sky with a metallic shriek, tearing a grievous wound in its left wing. Blood rained down, staining the Great Wasteland. Join our community of readers at audio-novel . com.

"Wretched beast, meet your end!"

As the searing pain registered, it tried desperately to flap its wings and flee once more.

But with a furious roar, Patriarch Yang summoned the Yang Clan's Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure, the Third Rank Superior Grade Magical TreasureMountain-Splitting Soul-Severing Axe. It descended from the heavens in a single, devastating arc, cleanly severing the great roc's head from its body.

In its final moments, the Thunderclap Great Roc could scarcely comprehend that it, who had believed its speed peerless and its escape methods unrivaled within its realm, had fallen to a coordinated assault.

It had been far too overconfident. If it had not chosen to cover the retreat of the Six-Winged Golden Butterfly from the very beginning and instead immediately activated its Thunderclap Lightning Flash Escape [a high-speed escape technique utilizing lightning and thunder] to flee, then even with everyone joining forces, it would have been exceedingly difficult to slay it.

Yet, those few breaths spent covering the retreat ultimately proved its undoing. It allowed the others to encircle it and solidified Patriarch Yang's resolve to deploy the Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword Talisman.

With its Thunderclap Lightning Flash Escape shattered and itself trapped within the besieging circle, no matter how astonishing its speed, it was like two fists trying to fend off four hands—utterly incapable of escaping the grasp of four opponents of equivalent combat prowess.

"It is finally over."

After slaying the Thunderclap Great Roc, both Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch could not help but release a sigh of profound relief, slumping onto the deck of the treasure vessel.

Although their offensive capabilities rivaled those at the Violet Sanctum Early Stage, their True Essence [the refined internal energy of a Foundation Establishment cultivator] ultimately lacked the profound versatility of true Magical Power [the energy cultivated and wielded by Violet Sanctum and higher realm cultivators, superior to True Essence].

Repeatedly activating their divine abilities, magical treasures, and the Formation had drained their internal True Essence by eighty to ninety percent. While their combined efforts had been pivotal in slaying the powerful foe, it came at a great cost.

This was their inherent weakness. They could match a Violet Sanctum cultivator's combat power in short bursts, but once drawn into a protracted battle and their True Essence was exhausted, they would be left utterly vulnerable, at the mercy of any true Violet Sanctum Cultivator.

"You have performed admirably."

That Patriarch Yang let out a hearty laugh of satisfaction before soaring down into the battlefield below.

When two Violet Sanctum Patriarch [powerful cultivators at the Violet Sanctum realm] personally entered the fray on the low-level cultivators' battlefield, the tide of battle turned instantly. The demon beasts were swiftly routed and scattered in panicked flight. This chapter is part of a larger work available at https://audio-novel.com.