Chapter 262. False Core Cyan Lion Mastiff (Demon Beast)

Kill.

A group of cultivators stormed Scorched Sun Mountain, catching the demon tribe completely off guard from the very first strike.

Eldrin (Person Name) rode his sword through the skies, killing intent blazing. The Li River Sword of the Returning Abyss (Magic Treasure) swelled with the wind, transforming into a 3-100-meter sword aura that directly cleaved toward the nearest Purple Mansion demon beast.

The demonic beast saw the 100-zhang sword aura slashing toward it, its scalp instantly tingling with dread. It could only frantically retreat while unleashing its divine abilities to counter the attack.

The others also sprang into action, trapping a vast number of Foundation Establishment and Purple Mansion realm immortal clan beasts within the void.

For a moment, nearly a 100 Purple Mansions and 7 or 8 Foundation Establishment cultivators clashed violently, erupting into a fierce melee across the sky.

"Not good."

The Azure-Maned Lion King's heart skipped a beat as a flicker of danger instantly flashed through his mind.

Lyra's (Person Name) formidable strength was something it had long heard of, making it naturally reluctant to face her in single combat.

In the mere blink of an eye, Eldrin (Person Name) had already summoned a massive war blade, transforming it into a streak of azure light that shot forth.

"Where do you think you're fleeing?"

In an instant, Lyra's eyes narrowed sharply. Immediately, she merged with her sword, transforming into a brilliant streak of sword light as she pursued.

Seeing that the 2 Golden Core cultivators had already departed, Eldrin was not worried. Lyra had now reached the Golden Core, 2nd Tier. Compared to ordinary cultivators with inferior-grade golden cores, her spiritual power was sufficient to rival that of a Golden Core, 5th Tier cultivator.

Although the Azure Mane Lion King had formed his Golden Core over 80 years ago, his current cultivation had only just broken through to the second layer of the Golden Core stage. He stood no chance against her.

Though thoughts flickered through his mind, Eldrin’s movements never slowed. With a surge of energy, he wielded the Heaven-Sundering Twin Swords, weaving them through the air with masterful precision, driving the Purple Palace, Mid Stage demonic hound into a relentless retreat.

Just as Eldrin was about to unleash his might and slay him, a cyan Sword Aura soared through the air and struck.

Superior Immortal Sword.

Eldrin’s heart tightened. Without hesitation, he summoned the Purple Blood Pagoda to block the incoming sword strike.

A deafening boom echoed as he was actually sent flying back several dozen feet by the single strike. The luminous barrier of the Purple Blood Pagoda (Magic Treasure) visibly dimmed.

Only then did he lift his head to look, discovering that the attacker was a cyan-colored Yao'ao (Monster Beast).

It was a Cyan Lion Mastiff.

Eldrin's eyes narrowed slightly as he recognized the origin of this demon.

The Azure Lion Mastiff was 1 of the Earth Lion Demon King's most trusted lieutenants. This demon, along with the lineage of the Golden Lion Mastiff, was considered an aberrant strain among the Yao'ao Clan.

This type of demon beast resembles the variant spiritual roots of humans, possessing an innate 2-tenths greater certainty than ordinary beings when breaking through to the Golden Core stage.

Back then, Eldrin and Varen ventured deep into Ink-Wash Ridge in search of treasures, only to end up being pursued by this very demon all the way to Scorching Sun Ridge.

Now, over 70 years later, the Azure Lion Mastiff had devoured millions of mortals in Jiaoyang County, and its cultivation had advanced significantly—it had actually stepped into the False Core realm.

In the brief chaos just moments before, the Verdant Lion Mastiff unleashed its divine might, slaying a Zi Palace Realm cultivator from the Sky Ruins Alliance in an instant.

"Be careful."

Witnessing the Azure Lion Mastiff unleashing its divine might, Old Ancestor Fang and Xavier (Person Name) soaring through the skies rushed to assist without delay.

Eldrin maintained his composure, riding his sword straight toward the Cyan Lion Mastiff. Meanwhile, Kael and Lior swiftly joined the fray, taking on his opponents.

3 Purple Palace, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) combatants charged forth, each proving no easy foe to contend with.

That Xavier (Person Name) had broken through to the Purple Palace, Late Stage (Cultivation Realm) over 30 years ago, and his cultivation had already reached the eighth level of the Purple Palace. He also possessed 3 clan-guarding supreme treasures.

He deployed his defensive artifact and summoned his life-bound treasure along with the Qianjin Fire Dragon Shears to meet the foe, forcing the Azure Lion Mastiff to treat him with genuine seriousness.

In recent years, Patriarch Fang had broken through to the ninth level of the Purple Mansion Realm, his spiritual power surpassing even Xavier's by a considerable margin.

In truth, aside from Lyra (Person Name), the most profound cultivation within the Celestial Ruins Alliance now belonged to Patriarch Qian. Having failed his second attempt to form a Golden Core (Cultivation Realm) years ago, he had finally broken through to the False Core Realm (Cultivation Realm).

Yet he was already 4 100 and 90-7 years old this year, and despite prolonging his life through various means, he had only a few years left to live.

His vitality had waned to such an extent that this elder, who had shaken the Chu Kingdom for hundreds of years, could no longer muster the strength to fight. He could only await death's arrival in silence.

Such is the life of a cultivator—if 1 fails to break through to the next realm before their lifespan is exhausted, they will most likely meet their end in silent meditation.

It is merely that higher-level cultivators possess more techniques at their disposal and can extend their lifespans further.

The 3 of them joined forces to besiege the Azure Lion Mastiff, yet in the blink of an eye, over 50 exchanges had passed. True to its reputation as a rare variant demon beast of the False Core Realm (Cultivation Realm), the Azure Lion Mastiff never once fell at a disadvantage despite being relentlessly assailed by the trio.

However, though the Azure Lion Mastiff was formidable, the other Zi Palace beasts ultimately could not hold out any longer.

Human Zifu cultivators were inherently slightly stronger than their demon counterparts, and at this moment, there were over a dozen more human Zifu cultivators gathered than demons.

Under the assault of the assembled cultivators, Purple Mansion beasts began to fall 1 after another.

The clan elder, a powerhouse at the Purple Palace, Late Stage, unleashed his full might. He summoned the Taibai Celestial Pearls, and in an instant, the 7 treasures swirled with the dual energies of yin and yang, unleashing the divine ability ‘Yin-Yang Annihilation Vapor’.

Only to see the boundless Yin and Yang energies surge forth, instantly suppressing 5 or 6 Zifu-level demonic beasts and rendering them unable to lift their heads.

Seizing the opportunity, the cultivators launched successive attacks, swiftly slaying those several Zi Mansion demons. With over a dozen high-level monsters fallen, the remaining beasts finally collapsed into disarray.

Of the 20 Zi Palace realm demon beasts, only a few leaders managed to flee, causing the entire beast army to collapse in defeat.

"Roar——"

Watching the demonic forces retreat in defeat, the Azure Lion Mastiff roared with fury.

With a frigid glare at the crowd, it whirled around to break through the encirclement. Yet Eldrin seized the pivotal moment—the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss shot forth in dual arcs as he raised his hand, summoning several divine thunderbolts that forced the creature into retreat.

Seeing it about to flee, Xavier declared with a solemn expression, "We can let others go, but the Cyan Lion Mastiff must not escape."

Hearing this, the crowd rushed over immediately, employing various methods to block the Cyan Lion Mastiff.

This aberrant beast poses too great a threat. If given another few decades or even a 100 years, this vile creature might truly break through to the Golden Core Realm, becoming a grave danger to the human race.

Compared to a Golden Core realm demon king, letting all the other dozen or so great demons escape was nothing.

Seeing dozens of high-level cultivators closing in, even the mighty Cyan Lion Mastiff couldn't help but feel a flicker of panic despite its formidable magical power.

As the saying goes, even a master can be overwhelmed by a flurry of wild blows. With 30 Purple Mansion cultivators joining forces in a coordinated assault, even a Golden Core, Early Stage (Cultivation Realm) great demon would have to furrow its brow in concern—let alone this creature that had merely reached the False Core realm.

Seeing the situation turning dire, the Azure Lion Mastiff spat out a mouthful of vital blood and unleashed a divine escape technique.

Fortunately, all present were high-level cultivators and naturally had their own methods. Elara was the first to act, unleashing her divine ability—the Ice Jade Radiance Condensation Spell.

The Ice Jade Radiance Spell struck his escape light, causing the glow of his evasion technique to dim significantly and his speed to drop by 30 to 40 percent.

Seizing this golden opportunity, Xavier and Patriarch Fang swiftly followed up, unleashing the Earth-Sundering Divine Thunder and Azurewood Divine Radiance, instantly shattering the Cyan Lion Mastiff’s evasion art.

The Cyan Lion Mastiff wielded several top-grade Tier-3 magical treasures to counter the assault, attempting to fight while retreating. Yet, besieged by dozens of human Purple Mansions, even its formidable strength began to wane under the relentless onslaught.

Chapter 1: Rebirth of the Immortal Monarch The sky tore open with a flash of crimson lightning, illuminating the ancient battlefield where countless corpses lay scattered. Chu Xuan's primordial spirit flickered like a dying candle flame, his millennia of cultivation crumbling at the final Heavenly Tribulation. "To think I, the Northern Darkness Immortal Monarch who dominated the cultivation world for 30 1000 years, would fall here..." His consciousness drifted into endless darkness. When he reopened his eyes, the pungent smell of damp hay assaulted his senses. Through the broken window, moonlight revealed a dilapidated temple and his own emaciated body - that of a 15-year-old youth. Memories flooded his mind like fragmented jade slips. This body's original owner shared his name, an orphaned disciple of the Azure Cloud Sect's outer circle. Just hours earlier, he'd been beaten unconscious by senior disciples for refusing to surrender his monthly allocation of 3 spirit stones. Chu Xuan examined his meridians, his heart sinking. "The spiritual roots are damaged, the dantian shattered... What miserable luck." Suddenly, spatial ripples emerged as a bronze mirror materialized before him. Its surface swirled with chaotic energy - the very Cosmic Mirror that had accompanied his soul through the rebirth! "Even you followed me?" Chu Xuan's eyes blazed with renewed determination. He pressed his palm against the cold surface, and the mirror dissolved into streams of light that vanished into his forehead. The Heavenly Emperor's Scripture - the supreme cultivation method he'd obtained in his previous life - unfolded within his consciousness. Unlike ordinary techniques that required absorbing spiritual energy, this scripture directly refined the primordial chaos energy that predated the universe itself. "With this, restoring my cultivation is merely a matter of time!" Chu Xuan murmured, his gaze turning toward the distant main peak where lights shimmered. "Those who harmed this body... your debts shall be repaid tenfold." He sat in lotus position, channeling the mysterious energy through his broken meridians. The pain was excruciating, as if countless needles pierced his flesh, yet his expression remained unflinching. To 1 who had endured the 9 Heavens Divine Tribulation, this suffering was but mosquito bites. Dawn's first light pierced through the broken window as Chu Xuan exhaled a turbid breath. His pale complexion had regained some color, and his previously blocked meridians now showed faint signs of repair. "Although barely 1-10-thousandth of my peak power, it's enough to execute basic spells." He extended his palm, where a wisp of chaotic energy coalesced into a faint spiritual glow. Suddenly, the temple door crashed open. 3 figures in Azure Cloud Sect robes strode in, their expressions contemptuous. "Little bastard, still alive?" The leading tall youth sneered, his boot crushing the already broken door. "Since you've recovered, hand over your spirit stones from the next 3 months." Chu Xuan recognized them - the very disciples who had nearly beaten him to death: Zhao Gan and his lackeys. In his previous life, such ants wouldn't be worth a glance from the Immortal Monarch. But now... "A dozen or so spirit stones, and you'd kill for them?" Chu Xuan's voice was calm as still water. Zhao Gan laughed crudely, "Since you understand, kneel and surrender them, and I might spare your dog life!" The other 2 disciples chuckled maliciously, cracking their knuckles as they approached. Chu Xuan sighed softly, his right finger subtly tracing an arc in the dusty air. "Then... don't blame me for being ruthless." A nearly invisible spiritual pattern flashed. The Dust-Forming Art - a minor technique he hadn't used in 3 1000 years. "Still putting on an act?" Zhao Gan swung his fist fiercely, but suddenly found his body growing heavy. The spiritual energy in his meridians solidified, his movements slowing to a crawl. Before he could understand what happened, Chu Xuan's figure blurred. A series of crisp slaps echoed through the temple. Slap! Slap! Slap! 3 clear palm prints appeared on Zhao Gan's face, so powerful they sent him spinning through the air before crashing into a broken statue. "You... your cultivation..." Zhao Gan clutched his swollen face, looking at Chu Xuan in terror. The other 2 disciples stood frozen, not daring to move. They hadn't even seen how Chu Xuan made his move! Chu Xuan stood with hands behind his back, his plain disciple robes suddenly emanating an imposing aura that made them want to kneel. "Scram. If you bother me again... I'll take your lives." The 3 scrambled away as if granted amnesty, forgetting even to retrieve their spatial pouches. Chu Xuan picked up the pouches, finding merely 20-some low-grade spirit stones inside. "How pitiful." He turned toward the sect's Assignment Hall, a cold smile curling his lips. "Since I've taken over this body, I'll help you settle all grievances." "The Azure Cloud Sect... no, this entire cultivation world shall once again tremble at the name of Immortal Monarch."