Chapter 275 : Thunder Net in the Demon's Heart

"End this swiftly."

Lyra Jiang [a powerful female cultivator] understood that time was of the essence. With a single command, she led the group charging deep into the heart of the Demon Cave Cavern [a cavernous lair infested with demonic beings].

"Stop them!"

Seeing their intent to suppress the Demonic Spring [a corrupted font of demonic energy], the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern [the ruler of the demonic cavern] roared out the order.

The Demon Cave Cavern was teeming with Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of dark, demonic arts]. Tens of thousands of them had gathered here, creating a formidable obstacle that even this powerful group found troublesome to fight through.

As their path forward was blocked, Lyra Jiang raised her hand and unleashed the Yang Fire Divine Thunder Net [a net woven from strands of pure Yang fire and divine thunder].

This Yang Fire Divine Thunder Net was the Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to its user's life force] of the previous sect master of the Green Sun Sect [a righteous cultivation sect], and its grade was as high as Fourth Rank Middle Grade [a powerful tier of magical artifact].

This treasure was designed for mass combat. The divine thunder net was studded with thousands of condensed Yang Fire Divine Thunder [bolts of righteous, sun-aligned heavenly lightning]. As Lyra Jiang cast it down, the net unfurled to cover an area spanning one hundred Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters].

"BOOM—"

A single strike. Dense clusters of Yang Fire Divine Thunder blotted out the subterranean world, the air cracking and sizzling with the deafening roar of thunder. Continue your cultivation journey at audio-novel`com.

In that instant, countless Demonic Cultivators [practitioners who use dark, forbidden arts] were blasted apart, their mangled corpses littering the ground. Tens of thousands of low-ranking Demonic Cultivators perished on the spot.

*Clang—*

Seeing Lyra Jiang cleave open a path, Eldrin Chen merged his body with his sword. The Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss [a legendary sword imbued with the power of returning flames] drove forward with unstoppable momentum, every demon in its path felled by a single, fatal strike.

The momentum of this sword was majestic, its piercing edge cutting through the darkness of the demonic cavern, carving a tunnel hundreds of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] through the subterranean stronghold.

Following closely behind, the others surged forth, driving the Demonic Cultivators into a desperate retreat as they fought their way straight toward the cavern's deepest heart.

"Zhang the True Person [a title for a Golden Core realm cultivator], I come to your aid!"

At that very moment, another thunderous explosion echoed through the caverns.

Taicang the Venerable burst forth from a side passage, driving a blood-robed elder into a frantic flight before turning his blade directly toward the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern and Yan Morgrim.

Seeing Taicang the Venerable emerge to assist, a flicker of relief crossed Zhang the True Person's features.

He was about to speak when his expression shifted subtly into one of caution. "Venerable Taicang the Venerable," he inquired, "where is your junior sister, Taiqing the Immortal Maiden?"

"Have you realized it? A pity it is already too late."

Suddenly, Taicang the Venerable let out a sinister laugh and, riding upon a Abyssal Demon Sword, slashed towards them.

The faces of the crowd paled with horror. Unbeknownst to all, Taicang the Venerable had somehow cultivated the Demonic Fiend Qi [a sinister and corrupting energy from the shadowy abyss] and his cultivation had broken through to the Golden Core, Late Stage realm.

In the blink of an eye, the situation reversed completely. Taicang the Venerable's sudden betrayal had caught everyone off guard.

"Ah—!"

Ambushed by four Golden Core Demonic Cultivators [practitioners of dark, forbidden arts], two of whom were even at the Golden Core, Late Stage stage, the stunned Zhang the True Person was grievously wounded on the spot, one of his arms severed.

At the critical moment, the Firmament Immortal Sword unleashed a sliver of its true power, shielding him and pulling him back.

By now, Lyra Jiang and Spirit Consort, the Immortal Maiden wore grim expressions. They swiftly turned to counterattack, blocking the assault from several of the Demonic Cultivators.

"A masterful move, sir."

"Hahaha... *cough*..."

Zhang the True Person let out a bitter, blood-flecked laugh.

At this final moment, he finally understood why Taicang the Venerable had been so adamant about besieging the Demon Cave Cavern. It had all been a scheme from the very beginning.

Eldrin Chen and the others had also pieced together the sequence of events. The reason the Yan Nation Cultivation World had been unwilling to send aid was, in fact, due to Taicang the Venerable's machinations.

As for why the Demonic Ape Demon King of Demonic Ape Mountain had conveniently descended into demonic madness at this precise moment, it was clearly a ploy to tie down the Violet Abyss Furnace.

This intricate plot implicated both Demonic Ape Mountain and the Demon Cave Cavern, a feat far beyond the capabilities of the Demon Cave Cavern alone. The shadow of the Green Flood Dragon Demon Emperor likely loomed behind it all.

Even if the Green Flood Dragon Demon Emperor had not intervened personally, it was almost certain that a powerful entity under its command had orchestrated this entire affair. For the best reading experience, visit https://audio-novel.com.

"One thing I do not understand,"

"How did you conceal yourself from the senses of the Mirror of the Vast Heaven and the Firmament Sword?"

Suppressing his grievous wounds, Zhang the True Person glared at Taicang the Venerable, his voice thick with resentment.

Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [artifacts of immense power specifically designed to counter demonic forces] possess an extraordinarily keen sensitivity to demonic Qi [the corrupt energy cultivated by demonic beings]. Any ordinary Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who follows the demonic path, harnessing malevolent energies] approaching within ten thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] would be instantly detected.

This Taicang the Venerable was a Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner of malevolent arts that harness demonic energies] at the late stage of the Golden Core Realm [a major realm where a cultivator's spiritual energy condenses into a solid, golden core]. Before the Mirror of the Vast Heaven [a legendary artifact capable of revealing truth and piercing illusions] and the Firmament Sword, he was like a blazing furnace in the darkness. How could he possibly evade the senses of a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a treasure of the highest order, specifically forged to suppress and vanquish demonic entities]?

Seeing his scheme succeed, that Taicang the Venerable, confident of victory, was in no hurry to strike again.

He stroked his long beard, a hint of pride in his voice as he declared, "This old master has cultivated both the righteous and the Demonic Path [the malevolent and corrupt counterpart to the righteous cultivation path]. For decades, I have refrained from using demonic arts to terrify others, and thus have accumulated no karmic resentment."

"For centuries, I have used orthodox Daoist techniques to suppress the abyssal, malignant energies. Furthermore, the Demon Emperor [a sovereign ruler among demonic beings] of the Azure Wave Lake gifted me a supreme treasure to conceal my demonic aura. Naturally, this was sufficient to evade the detection of the Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure."

Hearing this, the assembled cultivators understood the situation completely.

The mastermind behind this battle was likely the Green Flood Dragon Demon Emperor. The Azure Wave Lake dared not openly violate its pact to attack the Chu Kingdom directly. Thus, it used the hands of Demonic Cultivators to annihilate the Chu Kingdom Cultivation World [the collective society and territories of cultivators within the Chu Kingdom], thereby avoiding a direct confrontation with the Ji Clan.

"The methods of a Demon Emperor are truly formidable," someone murmured.

Zhang the True Person [a title for a powerful Golden Core Realm cultivator] let out a sigh, a flicker of defeat in his eyes.

This battle had gathered nearly half of the Chu Kingdom's elite forces, along with two crucially important Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasures. If they were all to perish within the Demon Cave Cavern, the fall of the Chu Kingdom to the hands of the Demonic Cultivators would become an almost certain fate.

"Heh, heh, heh, heh!"

The Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern suddenly let out a cold, mocking laugh, his face twisting with malice. "Do you think the mastermind behind this war is merely the Green Flood Dragon Demon Emperor?" he sneered.

"Let me tell you the truth. This war also has the backing of the Ridge of the Black Fiend from the Heaven's Spine Mountains."

"The Black Malignancy Ancient Ancestor and the Demon Emperor have long promised that once the Chu Kingdom is destroyed, the two of us shall receive Nascent Soul Formation Treasure."

"Demons and fiends colluding—a joint scheme by a Demon Emperor and a Demon Monarch."

"Good. Very good indeed. What an honor this is for the Cultivation World of my Chu Kingdom," Zhang the True Person declared, his voice ringing with bitter irony.

He let out a long, resonant laugh. The Sword Intent within his Firmament Sword surged and boiled, and an unquenchable killing intent flashed in his eyes.

Lyra Jiang also stepped forward. Behind her, a vast, ethereal, and pristine Treasure Mirror rose into the air.

"Today, we shall see whether we raze your Demon Cave Cavern to the ground, or you succeed in trapping us here," she proclaimed, her voice clear and unwavering.

The battle erupted instantly, a cataclysmic clash of titans from the very first moment.

The Mirror of the Vast Heaven dominated the heavens and earth, its sacred, illusory radiance flooding the entire demonic cavern, as if seeking to utterly suppress this Demonic Cultivator Forbidden Land.

Facing this surge of power, the four Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who cultivate using demonic and malevolent energies] had their expressions shift repeatedly. However, having decided to act, they had naturally made ample preparations.

It was then that Taicang the Venerable cupped his hands as if grasping the void itself, unleashing seven jet-black skulls. Each one was wreathed in billowing clouds of Black Malignancy Demonic Qi [a corrupt and sinister energy born of profound wickedness].

"It's the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls [a set of seven demonic skulls, each infused with a distinct form of ultimate evil]!"

The faces of the onlookers paled with horror as they recognized the origin of this treasure.

This Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls was one of the signature Magical Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts used by cultivators] of Black Malignancy Ancient Ancestor. To forge it, he had slain seven late-stage cultivators and performed a blood sacrifice involving countless millions of mortals.

Once completed, the treasure reached the Fifth Rank, becoming a notorious Immortal-Refining Demonic Treasure [a demonic artifact of such power it could threaten even immortals] within the Eastern Wastelands.

The Mirror of the Vast Heaven [a legendary treasure mirror embodying celestial purity], with its noble and righteous nature, would never tolerate such a Demonic Treasure running rampant. Sensing the aura of the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls, its power swelled dramatically, soaring through the air to suppress them.

"BOOM—"

Dazzling, resplendent light flooded heaven and earth, pushing back the endless tide of black Dark Fiend Qi [a malevolent and corrupting energy] as it clashed directly with the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls.

Eldrin Chen's expression turned grave. He realized the Mirror of the Vast Heaven was subtly falling behind. Although its might was peerless, here within the Demon Cave Cavern [a cavern saturated with demonic energy], it had to contend against the boundless Demonic Fiend Qi [the pervasive corrupt energy of a demonic realm], preventing it from unleashing its full power.

Realizing the dire turn of events, Zhang the True Person [a cultivator who has attained the Golden Core Realm] cast his gaze toward the Firmament Immortal Sword [a powerful immortal-grade sword]. "Great Ancient Ancestor [a venerable and powerful progenitor of a clan or sect]," he implored, "lend me your strength to slay this demon!"

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