Chapter 263 Demon King, Pili Golden Sun Halberd

Its gaze was icy as it stared at Eldrin. If not for Eldrin seizing the moment and forcing it back multiple times, it would have long since escaped to freedom. There would have been no need to resort to such desperate measures.

At this thought, its killing intent surged to a boiling point, and with a single breath, it spat out a streak of cyan light that shot straight toward him.

"Retreat, now."

Witnessing this scene, the crowd shouted while lending their support.

This is the inner core of the Cyan Lion Mastiff. Now that the beast has broken through the False Core realm, its inner core is already transforming into a Golden Core.

This inner elixir had already become the Azure Lion Mastiff's most powerful trump card, its might approaching the realm of the Golden Core stage.

Seeing the Green Lion Mastiff’s inner core strike toward him, Eldrin remained unfazed. He knew all too well that if he retreated now, the beast would seize the opportunity to breach their defenses and escape.

For aside from himself, no 1 else could slay a Green Lion Mastiff with a single strike.

At that point, it could pay the price of severe injury to break through the encirclement, thereby seizing the chance to escape.

With this thought, Eldrin (Person Name) immediately summoned the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible (Magic Treasure). In an instant, a crimson sun materialized in the sky, unleashing torrents of Scarlet Sun Truefire to incinerate the Green Lion Mastiff’s inner core.

"Damn it."

The moment it laid eyes on the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible (Magic Treasure), the Azure Lion Mastiff’s heart sank, a flicker of despair flashing in its eyes.

After all, this was a fourth-tier magic treasure. Though Eldrin's cultivation base could not compare to a Golden Core cultivator, with this treasure's power, he could severely injure—or even suppress and kill—a False Core cultivator.

Facing the incineration of the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible (Magic Treasure), the Azure Lion Mastiff’s inner core was severely damaged in mere moments, forcing it to swallow the core back in 1 gulp.

Then, the Crimson Yang True Fire swept forth, and along with it, the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible (Magic Treasure) descended from the sky, aiming to seal the Azure Lion Mastiff within the treasured crucible.

Once drawn into the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible (Magic Treasure), even a Golden Core Demon King could be refined into a wisp of calamity ashes.

The Azure Lion Mastiff still sought to flee, but alas, the cultivators struck in succession, forcing it back until it was finally drawn into the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible (Magic Treasure).

It is done.

A gleam of delight flashed in Eldrin's eyes. After all, the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible was a fourth-tier magic treasure—even a Golden Core demon king would likely have to pay a tremendous price to break free.

However, once a False Core Realm (Cultivation Realm) demonic beast was drawn into it, there was simply no possibility of escape.

He immediately channeled greater spiritual power into the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible (Magic Treasure). Within mere moments, the Azure Lion Mastiff within the crucible was completely refined.

This treasure furnace was extraordinary. As the lid opened, a Flesh and Blood Treasure Pill flew out from within, followed by a Quasi-Fourth-Grade Inner Core and several Third-Grade Superior Magic Treasures.

That Flesh and Blood Treasure Pill was refined from the essence of the Azure Lion Mastiff's flesh and blood. Consuming it could greatly enhance 1's physical strength.

When breaking through to the Golden Core realm, the 3 treasures of essence, energy, and spirit are indispensable. A powerful physical body can also increase 1's chances of forming the Golden Core by several degrees.

After slaying the Cyan Lion Mastiff, the group began reclaiming Scorched Sun Mountain (Location) while simultaneously pursuing the fleeing Purple Mansion demons.

After pursuing and battling for 3 hours, Eldrin slew 2 more demon kings, while the rest of the group also achieved minor victories.

By the time Lyra returned with the bones of the Azure-Maned Lion King, the demonic creatures upon Scorched Sun Mountain had finally been completely eradicated.

The group gathered before the Scorched Sun Mountain (Location) spirit pool, taking stock of their gains. To their astonishment, they discovered they had slain 9 Zifu (Cultivation Realm) demonic beasts in this battle.

Compared to the extraordinary escape abilities of the Purple Mansion beasts, those Foundation Establishment demons couldn't outrun the group at all. Surprisingly, Eldrin and the others had slain over 5 100 of them.

This is the cruelty of war. When a battle is lost, high-level cultivators still stand a fair chance of survival, but for those at the Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment stages, escape becomes nigh impossible.

After this battle, some of the Foundation Establishment and Purple Mansion realm beasts in Jiaoyang County managed to escape, but the low-level beasts in the county weren't so fortunate.

The entire Jiaoyang County had been overrun for 70 years, and the number of low-level demon beasts that had bred there had even exceeded 1 100 1000.

These demonic beasts possessed only rudimentary intelligence and were incapable of traversing the tens of thousands of miles of territory. Faced with the ensuing encirclement and suppression by the major immortal clans of the 3 provinces, they could only become alchemical and artifact-crafting materials for the low-level cultivators of the 3 provinces.

The benefit is that in the near future, the prices of low-grade magical artifacts across the 3 provinces will plummet by a significant margin, making the next Beast Tide slightly easier to withstand.

After reviewing the outcome of this battle, Eldrin revealed a faint smile and said, "Having slain the Azure-Maned Lion King and the Lion-Mastiff this time, the next beast tide should become considerably easier to handle."

"Indeed, when Jiaoyang County fell 70 years ago, my Qian Clan lost 2 Zifu(Power Level) in the battle."

"Time truly flies. It all feels like yesterday, yet now we have finally reclaimed our ancestral land once more."

Beside them, the Zifu-stage cultivator of the Qian Clan let out a sigh, his expression a complex blend of melancholy and quiet joy.

Only a cultivator surnamed Wang wore a bitter expression—this man was the clan leader of the Purple Mansion’s Wang Immortal Clan.

In this battle, only 1 Human Tribe Eldrin had fallen, yet the deceased was precisely the newly-advanced Eldrin of his Wang Clan, plunging him into profound agony.

Although the Chen Family had also brought their newly-advanced Purple Mansion cultivators, Kael (Person Name), Lior (Person Name), Lila (Person Name), and others were all protected by Eldrin (Person Name) and the old clan leader, so they did not encounter overly formidable opponents.

The Wang family's newly-advanced Eldrin cultivator proved lacking in strength. By ill fortune, they encountered the Cyan Lion Mastiff amidst the chaotic battle. In but a few exchanges, the mastiff had already slain them—leaving him no time to render aid.

Seeing the joy on everyone's faces at this moment, Elder Wang spoke with a sorrowful expression, "I have but 80 years of lifespan remaining, and my cultivation has only reached the sixth level of the Purple Mansion. With my Wang Clan nephew fallen in this battle, what shall become of us hereafter?"

A brief silence fell upon the group. Lyra's eyes flickered slightly before she spoke, "Within the underground fire veins of Scorched Sun Mountain, there remain 2 Li Fire Crystals and 1 Purple Sun Jade."

"Those 2 Li Fire Crystals (Spiritual Object) shall be yours as compensation. As for the Purple Sun Jade, I shall refine a batch of Violet Qi Cloud-Vein Pills and offer you 1 at cost price."

Hearing this, Patriarch Wang expressed his gratitude profusely, "Thank you, Patriarch Jiang, thank you, Patriarch Jiang."

After handling the compensation matters, the group began distributing the spoils from this battle.

The battle was fought in haste, yet the spoils were anything but meager.

After the Azure Mane Lion King met its demise, Lyra not only obtained its remains and inner core, but also acquired a fourth-tier lower-grade magic treasure—the Qinggang Blade.

The remaining 9 Purple Mansion beasts contributed a total of 18 third-grade magic treasures, averaging less than 1 per individual.

However, after Lyra refined the inner elixir into Foundation Establishment Pills, each family could receive an average of 2 or 3 Foundation Establishment Pills, ensuring that everyone had their own share of gains.

Among these treasures, the Verdant Lion Mastiff contributed the most, as it surprisingly possessed 3 Clan-Guarding Supreme Treasures.

Qing'ao Pearl, Golden Sun Thunder Halberd, Blue Vein Hexagonal Shield.

Percival gazed at the Thunderbolt Golden Sun Halberd, tears streaming down his aged face as he spoke, "Everyone, this artifact is the life-bound magic treasure of our Pan Clan's previous clan leader."

"In those days, he fell in battle covering the Pan family's retreat. I would rather relinquish other treasures, and I sincerely hope none will contend with me for this item."

The crowd felt a shared sense of sorrow, yet none could easily part with the Thunderclap Golden Sun Halberd—after all, there were only 3 Guardian Clan Treasures present in this gathering.

This treasure is crucial whether used as a cornerstone of a clan's foundation or as an instrument to transcend heavenly tribulations. Though Percival has reached the sixth level of the Violet Mansion, his current standing still falls short of being worthy of such an exchange.

Chapter 1: The Reborn Prodigy The biting cold wind howled through the mountains, carrying with it the scent of decayed leaves and damp earth. In a dilapidated courtyard at the foot of the mountain, a pale-faced youth slowly opened his eyes. "Have I... truly been reborn?" Lin Feng (Person Name) stared blankly at his own hands, the memories of his past life flooding back like a tidal wave. In his previous life, he had been the youngest Golden Core cultivator in the entire cultivation world, yet he had fallen victim to a conspiracy, perishing under the joint attack of 3 great Nascent Soul elders. Now, reborn at 16, he found himself back at the starting point of his cultivation journey - the outer sect of the Azure Cloud Sect (Sect Name). "Elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect (Sect Name), just you wait. This time, I, Lin Feng, will surely make you pay the price!" A cold gleam flashed in his eyes. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his head. A mysterious golden light emerged between his eyebrows, forming a complex pattern that slowly faded away. "This is... the Primordial Chaos Codex (Cultivation Technique)!" Lin Feng was both shocked and overjoyed. This was the legendary supreme cultivation method that even immortals would fight over. In his past life, he had only obtained it by chance in a secret realm, but now it had actually merged with his soul. Just as he was about to examine the cultivation method, the courtyard door was violently kicked open. "Lin Feng, you useless trash! Still pretending to be dead here?" A arrogant young man swaggered in, flanked by 2 followers. "Hand over your monthly allocation of 3 spirit stones, and I might consider letting you off easy today." Zhang Hu (Person Name), the local tyrant of the outer sect. In his past life, Lin Feng had suffered countless humiliations at his hands. Lin Feng's eyes turned cold. "Get lost." "What did you say?" Zhang Hu thought he had misheard. This usually timid waste actually dared to talk back? "I said get lost." Lin Feng stood up, his gaze sharp. "Or do you want me to make you?" Zhang Hu was first stunned, then flew into a rage. "You're seeking death!" He threw a punch, carrying a faint spiritual energy - the basic boxing technique of the outer sect, the Rock Crushing Fist (Martial Art). Although it was only a low-grade mortal technique, in the hands of a third-level Qi Condensation cultivator, it could still shatter rocks. But in Lin Feng's eyes, this punch was full of openings. He sidestepped lightly, simultaneously striking out with his palm like lightning, precisely hitting Zhang Hu's dantian. "Ah!" Zhang Hu screamed as he was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground. The 2 followers were dumbfounded. "How... how is this possible! You're clearly just a first-level Qi Condensation waste!" Zhang Hu clutched his chest, his face full of shock and disbelief. Lin Feng looked down at him coldly. "Tell your master that I, Lin Feng, will soon come to collect what's owed to me." After driving away Zhang Hu and the others, Lin Feng sat cross-legged on his bed, beginning to inspect the Primordial Chaos Codex (Cultivation Technique) within his body. This cultivation method was incredibly profound, divided into 9 layers, each corresponding to a major realm of cultivation. The first layer alone contained over 10 1000 words of esoteric teachings, far more complex than the Azure Cloud Art (Cultivation Technique) practiced by the Azure Cloud Sect (Sect Name). He took a deep breath and took out the 3 spirit stones from his storage pouch. These were his entire fortune. Closing his eyes, he began operating the Primordial Chaos Codex (Cultivation Technique). The surrounding spiritual energy surged toward him like a tidal wave, forming a nearly visible vortex above his head. Crack! 1 of the spirit stones in his hand shattered, its spiritual energy completely depleted. Lin Feng's cultivation level rose rapidly: second-level Qi Condensation, third-level Qi Condensation... all the way to the peak of fifth-level Qi Condensation before finally stopping. He opened his eyes, a flash of golden light passing through them. "So fast!" Even Lin Feng himself was shocked. In his past life, it had taken him a full 3 years to reach fifth-level Qi Condensation, but now he had achieved it in the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Just as he was marveling at this, a crisp voice came from outside the door. "Junior Brother Lin, are you there?" A graceful figure walked in. It was Luo Ying (Person Name), the senior sister of the outer sect who had taken good care of him in his past life. But at this moment, Lin Feng noticed the trace of anxiety hidden between her brows. "Senior Sister Luo, what brings you here?" Lin Feng asked calmly. Luo Ying hesitated for a moment before speaking. "The sect leader has ordered that all outer sect disciples must participate in the trial at the Black Wind Ridge (Place Name) in 3 days. I... I came to remind you to be careful." Lin Feng's heart stirred. So it had come. In his past life, this trial had been a carefully laid trap by the elders of the Heavenly Sword Sect (Sect Name), resulting in the deaths of countless Azure Cloud Sect (Sect Name) disciples. He himself had nearly perished there. But now, things would be different. "Thank you for the warning, Senior Sister." Lin Feng showed a meaningful smile. "This trial might just be an opportunity for me." Luo Ying looked at the suddenly confident junior brother in front of her, feeling as if he had become a completely different person. After seeing Luo Ying off, Lin Feng took out a rusty bronze fragment from his storage pouch. This was an item his mother had left him before she passed away. In his past life, he hadn't discovered its secret until he formed his Golden Core. He channeled a stream of spiritual energy into it. The bronze fragment suddenly lit up, projecting a mysterious map into the air. A line of ancient text slowly appeared: "The Heavenly Star Secret Realm (Secret Realm), where the legacy of the immortals awaits the destined." Lin Feng's eyes shone with determination. This lifetime, he would definitely reach the pinnacle of the cultivation world and uncover all the secrets!