Chapter 263 : The Verdant Lion's Last Stand

Its gaze was icy and filled with malice as it stared at Eldrin Chen. Were it not for Eldrin Chen seizing the critical moment and forcing it back time and again, it would have long since broken free to safety, never having been driven to this desperate pass.

At this thought, its killing intent boiled over. With a roar, it spat forth a beam of azure radiance, hurling it directly at its foe.

"Fall back, now!"

Seeing this, the others cried out in warning even as they rallied to provide support.

This object was the Inner Core [the condensed life force and power core of a powerful demonic beast] of the Verdant Lion Mastiff. Now that the beast's cultivation had broken through to the False Core Realm [a pseudo-core stage below the true Golden Core], its Inner Core was already undergoing a metamorphosis towards a true Golden Core [the solidified core of power formed by a Golden Core Realm cultivator].

Thus, this Inner Core had become the Verdant Lion Mastiff's most potent trump card, its power already brushing against the domain of the Golden Core Realm.

As the Verdant Lion Mastiff's Inner Core shot towards him, Eldrin Chen's expression remained unflinching. He understood clearly that if he retreated now, the beast would surely exploit the opening to shatter their encirclement and burst free.

For aside from himself, none of the others possessed the means to deliver a single, decisive blow capable of slaying the Verdant Lion Mastiff.

If that happened, the beast could afford to pay the price of grievous injury to break through their ranks, thereby seizing its chance to escape.

Resolved in a single thought, Eldrin Chen directly summoned forth the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible. In an instant, a crimson sun materialized in the heavens, unleashing a torrential cascade of the Crimson Sun True Flame [a supreme yang-attribute flame of immense purifying power] to immolate the Verdant Lion Mastiff's oncoming Inner Core. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio-novel.com.

"This is bad."

The moment it saw the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible [a powerful furnace capable of refining and incinerating its contents], the Verdant Lion Mastiff [a powerful lion-like demonic beast] felt its heart sink, a flicker of despair crossing its features.

After all, it was a Fourth Rank Magical Treasure [a treasure of immense power, equivalent to the Golden Core realm]. While Eldrin Chen's cultivation base could not match that of a true Golden Core Cultivator [a master who has formed a solid golden core of power], by harnessing this treasure's might, he was more than capable of severely wounding or even slaying a False Core Cultivator [a cultivator with an unstable, incomplete core].

Confronted by the incinerating power of the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible, the Verdant Lion Mastiff's Inner Core [the condensed essence and power source of a demonic beast] was grievously wounded in mere moments, forcing the beast to swallow it back in a desperate attempt to protect it.

Immediately after, the Crimson Sun True Flame [a divine flame of pure, scorching solar energy] surged forth, and the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible itself descended from the sky, seeking to engulf and draw the Verdant Lion Mastiff into its fiery maw.

Once sealed within the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible, even a Golden Core Demon King [a demonic beast king with a stable Golden Core] might be refined into nothing but ashes.

The Verdant Lion Mastiff struggled to flee, but its companions' relentless attacks forced it back, sealing its fate as it was finally drawn into the depths of the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible.

"It is done."

A smile of triumph spread across Eldrin Chen's face. The Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible was, after all, a Fourth Rank Magical Treasure. A Golden Core Demon King might still have a slim chance to break free, though at a terrible cost.

But for a Demonic Beast [a beast that cultivates demonic energy] of the False Core Realm [the unstable, pseudo-Golden Core stage], once trapped within, there was no hope of escape.

He saw it increase its magical power to drive the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible [a powerful alchemical furnace that refines materials with solar and void energies]. In merely the time it takes for a few breaths, the Verdant Lion Mastiff [a powerful lion-like demonic beast] within the crucible was utterly refined.

This treasure crucible was extraordinary. As its lid opened, a flesh-and-blood elixir pill, a quasi-Fourth Rank [the Golden Core realm] Inner Core [the condensed energy core of a powerful beast], and several Third Rank High Grade [the high end of the Purple Mansion realm] Magical Treasure [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators] flew forth from within.

The flesh-and-blood elixir pill was concocted from the condensed essence of the Verdant Lion Mastiff's flesh and blood. Consuming it could greatly enhance one's physical body strength.

When breaking through to the Golden Core [the fourth major cultivation realm, forming a solidified core of power], the three treasures of essence, energy, and spirit are indispensable. A stronger physical body also increases one's hope of a successful Golden Core breakthrough.

Having slain the Verdant Lion Mastiff, the group began to reoccupy Scorched Sun Mountain [a mountain range imbued with fiery energy] while simultaneously pursuing the fleeing Purple Mansion Demonic Tribe [a tribe of demons whose leaders have reached the Purple Mansion realm].

They pursued for three shichen-time [a period of six hours]. Eldrin Chen beheaded two more Demon King [a title for powerful demonic beasts, often at the Purple Mansion realm or higher], and the others also achieved minor victories.

By the time Lyra Jiang returned with the remains of the Verdant-Maned Lion King [the king of the lion demon tribe], the Demonic Tribe [a tribe or faction composed of demonic beings] on Scorched Sun Mountain had finally been cleansed.

The group gathered before the Spirit Pool [a pool concentrated with spiritual energy] on Scorched Sun Mountain to tally their gains. They discovered that in this battle, they had actually slain nine Purple Mansion Demonic Beast [demonic beasts whose power is equivalent to the human Purple Mansion realm].

Compared to the Purple Mansion Demonic Beast with their extraordinary escape techniques, the Foundation Establishment Demonic Beast [demonic beasts equivalent to the human Foundation Establishment realm] simply could not outrun the cultivators. Astonishingly, Eldrin Chen and the others had slaughtered over five hundred of them.

Such is the brutal nature of war. When a battle is lost, high-ranking cultivators still have a fair chance of survival. However, for Qi Refinement [the first major cultivation realm] and Foundation Establishment Cultivator [the second major cultivation realm] cultivators, escape becomes a thousandfold more difficult.

After this battle, while some of the Foundation Establishment and Purple Mansion Demonic Beast [powerful demonic beasts at the Purple Mansion cultivation realm] in Scorching Sun County managed to escape, the fate of the Low-Rank Demonic Beast [lesser demonic beasts] there was utterly tragic.

Having been overrun for seventy years, Scorching Sun County had seen its population of Low-Rank Demonic Beast [lesser demonic beasts] swell to over one hundred thousand.

These Demonic Beast [monstrous creatures], with their dim awareness and inability to traverse the tens of thousands of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] of territory, could only become materials for alchemy and artifice for the low-level cultivators of the Three Provinces during the ensuing purge by the various immortal clans.

The silver lining was that for a time to come, the price of low-level Magical Tool [enchanted implements] in the Three Provinces would drop significantly, making the next Beast Tide Calamity [cataclysmic invasion by demonic beasts] somewhat easier to withstand.

After reviewing the battle's outcome, Eldrin Chen allowed a smile to touch his lips. "With the slaying of the Verdant-Maned Lion King and the Verdant Lion Mastiff this time, the next Beast Tide Calamity [cataclysmic invasion by demonic beasts] should be far more manageable."

"Indeed," another voice agreed, heavy with memory. "For seventy years, Scorching Sun County lay fallen. My Qian Clan lost two of its Purple Mansion [high-level cultivators] in that struggle." Dive deeper into the Dao at audio-novel dot com.

"Time flows swiftly. It all feels like yesterday, yet now, at last, our ancestral lands are reclaimed."

A Purple Mansion Cultivator [cultivator at the Purple Mansion realm] from the Qian Clan sighed beside him, his expression a complex tapestry of sorrow and profound relief.

Yet, one figure wore a mask of pure bitterness—a Wang Surname Cultivator who served as the Clan Patriarch of the Wang Immortal Clan of Purple Mansion.

This battle had claimed only a single Human Race Purple Mansion Cultivator [human cultivator at the Purple Mansion realm], but that casualty was his clan's newly advanced Purple Mansion [cultivator], a loss that carved a deep wound of anguish within him.

Although the Chen Clan also brought forth newly advanced Purple Mansion [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual mansion within the dantian] cultivators, individuals like Kael, Lior, and Lila were all under the protection of Eldrin Chen and the Old Patriarch, and thus did not encounter overwhelmingly powerful opponents.

The newly advanced Purple Mansion cultivator from their Wang Clan was somewhat lacking in strength. By unfortunate coincidence, he encountered the Verdant Lion Mastiff [a powerful lion-like demonic beast with a verdant mane] amidst the chaotic battle and was slain by it within mere moments, leaving no time for rescue.

Seeing the relieved expressions on everyone's faces now, Wang the Ancient Ancestor spoke with a tone of deep sorrow, "This old man has but eighty years of lifespan remaining and is only at the Purple Mansion Sixth Layer. With my clan nephew fallen in this battle, what is to become of us hereafter?"

A moment of solemn silence followed. Lyra Jiang's eyes flickered thoughtfully before she spoke, "Within the Underground Fire Vein [a subterranean channel of concentrated fire-attribute spiritual energy] beneath the Scorched Sun Mountain, there remain two Li Fire Crystal [crystals of condensed fire essence, named for the ancient unit of measurement 'Li'] and one piece of Purple Sun Jade [a rare jade imbued with the essence of the purple sun]."

"Those two Li Fire Crystal shall be given to you as compensation. As for the Purple Sun Jade, I will refine a batch of Violet Qi Cloud-Vein Pill [a high-grade pill that aids in cultivation and refines one's spiritual energy] with it. You may purchase one pill from that batch at cost price."

Hearing this, Wang the Ancient Ancestor expressed his gratitude profusely, "Thank you, Jiang the Ancient Ancestor. My deepest thanks, Jiang the Ancient Ancestor."

With the matter of compensation settled, the group turned to dividing the spoils of the battle.

Though the conflict had been swift, the harvest was not insignificant.

Following the demise of the Verdant-Maned Lion King, Lyra Jiang acquired not only its remains and Inner Core [the condensed spiritual essence of a powerful demonic beast] but also a Fourth Rank Low Grade Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] named the 'Verdant Aegis Blade'.

The remaining nine Purple Mansion Demonic Beast contributed a total of eighteen Third Rank Magical Treasure, averaging less than one per cultivator.

However, once Lyra Jiang refined its Inner Core into Foundation Establishment Pill [a pill that aids in establishing the foundational stage of cultivation], each family could expect to receive an average of two or three pills, ensuring that all parties secured some gains from the endeavor.

Among these treasures, the Verdant Lion Mastiff [a powerful lion-like demonic beast] contributed the most, as it surprisingly possessed three Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure [an artifact of immense power used to protect and symbolize a clan's legacy].

These were the Verdant Mastiff Pearl, the Thunderbolt Golden Sun Halberd, and the Blue-Veined Hexagonal Shield.

Gazing at the Thunderbolt Golden Sun Halberd, Percival Pan spoke with tears welling in his aged eyes, "Esteemed friends, this weapon was the Life-Bound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact intimately linked to its owner's life force and cultivation] of my Pan Clan's previous Clan Patriarch."

"He fell in battle years ago, holding the line to cover our Pan Family's retreat. I would willingly forgo other treasures, and I implore you not to contest me for this one."

The others felt a pang of sympathy, yet they were also reluctant to part with the Thunderbolt Golden Sun Halberd. After all, there were only three Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure among the spoils.

Such an artifact was crucial, whether as a cornerstone of a clan's defensive might or as a treasure to weather heavenly tribulations. Percival Pan, being only at the Purple Mansion Sixth Layer [the sixth stage of the Purple Mansion cultivation realm], fell somewhat short in his ability to offer equivalent value for this prize. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio - novel . com.