Chapter 276 : Clash of Immortal Swords and Demonic Springs

The Firmament Immortal Sword [a legendary sword of immense power] was exceptionally sharp and fierce. It transformed into a dazzling sword aura and cleaved towards the several Golden Core Ancestor [powerful cultivators who have formed a Golden Core, the third major stage of cultivation] from the Demon Cave Cavern.

Yet, at that very moment, from within the Demonic Spring [a sinister spring tainted by demonic energy] of the Demonic Cultivator Forbidden Land, a terrifying, enveloping malignant Qi erupted. It locked onto the sword, actually managing to temporarily restrain it.

This Demonic Cultivator Forbidden Land truly lived up to its name. The power of the Demonic Spring was such that even the Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a treasure of the highest order, specifically designed to suppress demonic forces] found it difficult to break free for the moment.

"This is bad!"

Seeing the two supreme treasures held in check, the hearts of everyone present sank.

Right then, Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern and Taicang the Elder Demon sneered coldly. They led countless Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use demonic energy and forbidden arts] forward, launching a concerted assault.

A great battle erupted instantly. Zhang the True Person [a cultivator who has attained the Golden Core realm], despite his internal injuries, engaged Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern. Both were grievously wounded, but for the moment, they managed to hold their ground.

Lyra Jiang soared into the heavens, riding her immortal sword as she attacked Taicang the Elder Demon. Meanwhile, Spirit Consort, the Immortal Maiden clashed with the Blood-Robed Elder Demon.

Seizing this opportunity, Yan Morgrim surged forward to join the assault against Spirit Consort, the Immortal Maiden.

"We cannot let this fiend succeed!" Original English translation available at audio-novel.com (official site).

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly. Spirit Consort, the Immortal Maiden had only broken through to the Golden Core Second Layer a little over one Jiazi-time [a sixty-year cycle] ago. In an environment like the Demon Cave Cavern, if she were to be surrounded and attacked, the danger of her falling was all too real.

With this thought, he glanced at the others beside him, his face turning grave as he spoke.

"We must act swiftly. We cannot allow that old demon to succeed."

As Eldrin Chen's words fell, he summoned his Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss and launched an assault against the blood-robed elder demon.

The blood-robed elder demon, however, let out a cold sneer. Three figures erupted from him, soaring forth—they were actually Blood Demon Clone [manifestations of a demonic cultivator's essence and blood].

"Be careful!"

Eldrin Chen's expression tightened once more. He clashed with one of the blood shadows and discovered, to his alarm, that Yan Morgrim's Blood Demon Clone each possessed combat power rivaling the False Core [a pseudo-Golden Core realm]!

In an instant, among the six combatants of False Core strength, Hibiscus, the Immortal Maiden, Elara Lin, and Eldrin Chen himself were all pinned down.

Seeing Spirit Consort, the Immortal Maiden in imminent peril, Chen Thalion intercepted Eldrin Chen's opponent. "Go! Aid Spirit Consort, the Immortal Maiden now!" he urged.

Eldrin Chen gave a sharp nod. Channeling his power, he directed the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss in a fierce slash aimed directly at Yan Morgrim.

This Yan Morgrim cultivated the Blood Demon Grand Art [a formidable demonic art that grants immense vitality and survival capabilities], and his ability to preserve his life was indeed first-rate. However, he had broken through to the Golden Core realm too recently. Without the aid of his Blood Demon Clone [a clone formed from blood essence, used for combat or evasion], he could only face Eldrin Chen with his full and undivided attention.

With a mere flick of his wrist, he summoned his Lifebound Demonic Treasure [a demonic artifact bound to one's life force and soul]. In the same motion, he unleashed seven demonic specters that surged forward like a tide of malevolence.

The seven demonic entities housed within this Seven-Soul Demonic Banner [a banner that traps and commands seven powerful demon souls] were extraordinarily potent, each one possessing strength equivalent to a Purple Mansion, Late Stage cultivator. Even a False Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has formed an inferior, unstable imitation of a Golden Core] would find their spirit devoured and perish instantly if all seven were to overwhelm them simultaneously.

Yet, Eldrin Chen stood his ground without a trace of fear. As the phantoms from the Seven-Soul Demonic Banner closed in, he invoked his Solar True Aegis [a divine ability that manifests a protective aura of pure solar energy] technique.

"BOOM—"

In an instant, Eldrin Chen was enveloped by a dazzling, golden radiance.

At that moment, he resembled a golden sun suspended in the heavens. His sacred, blazing light illuminated the land for a hundred Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], causing vast swathes of the surrounding Dark Fiend Qi [a corrupt, shadowy form of spiritual energy] to evaporate into wisps of smoke.

"Disaster! It's a Pure Yang Divine Ability [a divine ability powered by the unadulterated, positive energy of the sun, supremely effective against Yin and demonic forces]!"

Yan Morgrim cried out in alarm, desperately trying to recall his Demonic Treasure [an artifact imbued with demonic power]. Alas, it was already far too late.

The seven specters, though possessing strength equal to the Purple Mansion, Late Stage, lacked physical bodies. Such ethereal demons are the most vulnerable to suppression by Pure Yang Divine Ability Daoist methods; the damage they suffer is multiplied many times over.

In the span of a single instant, three of the fiends were utterly annihilated, reduced to dust. Of the remaining four, three let out piercing, agonized shrieks, suffering unprecedented and grievous wounds.

Only one, positioned slightly farther away, sustained injuries that could, with some stretch, be considered not too severe.

"My treasure!"

Witnessing his prized Life-Bound Magical Treasure [a cultivator's personally forged and soul-bound enchanted artifact] sustain damage, Yan Morgrim let out a pained cry. His face contorted with ferocity as he summoned and hurled a Fourth Rank Demonic Treasure [a powerful artifact forged through demonic arts, equivalent to Golden Core grade] towards his foes.

However, at that moment, Xavier Xu and Fang the Ancient Ancestor rushed to provide support. They each unleashed their own Fourth Rank Magical Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact of Golden Core grade] to clash against Yan Morgrim's attack.

The three of them joining forces against Yan Morgrim finally managed to hold their ground, for the moment at least, not falling into a disadvantage. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio-novel*com.

Half a Shichen-time [a conventional unit of time equal to two hours] passed in the blink of an eye as they battled. The stalemate grew increasingly precarious for their side.

After swallowing a Pill [a refined medicinal elixir used in cultivation], Old Patriarch felt that a prolonged fight deep within the Demon Cave Cavern [a cavernous lair infested with demonic energy] risked their complete annihilation.

Thus, he decisively summoned all seven of his White Metal Star Pearl [magical pearls forged from celestial star metal, radiating a white metallic essence]. Enveloping the three Blood Demon Clone [demonic avatars created from condensed blood essence and malevolent will] within their radiant field, he declared with a face of serene resolve.

"I will hold these three Blood Demon Clone at bay. You must go and aid Eldrin in defeating Yan Morgrim."

"This..."

Elara Lin and Hibiscus, the Immortal Maiden glanced at him, sensing a faint yet resolute air of tragic finality about him, as if he were marching to his doom.

However, in the critical moment of the great battle, they had no time for further words. They immediately unleashed their Fourth Rank Magical Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts of the Golden Core realm] and launched their assault against Yan Morgrim.

Besieged by five False Core Cultivator [cultivators who have formed a pseudo-Golden Core, possessing power between Purple Mansion and true Golden Core], Yan Morgrim was ultimately forced onto the defensive. Each of his five opponents wielded a Fourth Rank Magical Treasure, which significantly amplified their combat prowess.

United, the five wielded a total of six such Fourth Rank Magical Treasure, a force sufficient to suppress an ordinary Golden Core, Early Stage [a cultivator in the initial phase of the Golden Core realm] cultivator.

Yan Morgrim's Life-Bound Magical Treasure [a magical treasure intimately connected to a cultivator's life force and soul] was half-destroyed, his three Blood Demon Clone [demonic avatars formed from condensed blood and malice] were desperately pinned down by the Ancient Ancestor Sect's suicidal efforts. Relying solely on a single Fourth Rank [referring to the Golden Core realm] demonic sword, he found it impossible to overturn such overwhelming odds.

Some Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who follow a path of darkness, harnessing malevolent energies] attempted to intervene and break the encirclement, but they were intercepted and held at bay by Human Race [the collective of human cultivators] Purple Mansion Cultivator [cultivators who have opened their Purple Mansion, the spiritual core within] such as Kael Chen and Ethan Chen.

The number of Human Race Purple Mansion and Foundation Establishment [the realm where a cultivator solidifies their foundation for future advancement] cultivators participating in the battle far exceeded that of the Demonic Cultivator. Even with a horde of lower-tier demons creating distractions, the human forces were more than sufficient to contain them.

"BOOM—"

After half a Ke-time [a conventional short duration, roughly fifteen to thirty minutes] of fierce combat, Eldrin Chen finally seized an opening. He summoned the Crimson Sun Void-Immolating Crucible [a treasure cauldron capable of incinerating things with solar flame], ensnaring the Shadow-Black Demonic Sword within its confines and subjecting it to searing purification.

Then, he unleashed the Magnetic Treasure Mirror [a magical mirror that manipulates magnetic forces] to lock down this Fourth Rank Immortal Sword [a powerful sword of the fourth rank], neutralizing Yan Morgrim's second trump card.

Seeing that one of his two Fourth Rank Magical Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts of the fourth rank] was half-destroyed and the other was sealed, Yan Morgrim finally felt a flicker of intent to retreat.

Yet, the others were naturally unwilling to let him escape. Elara Lin's Ink Snow Immortal Sword [an immortal sword as dark as ink and cold as snow], Xavier Xu's Green Sun Demon-Piercing Shuttle [a magical shuttle imbued with the power of the green sun, designed to pierce demonic defenses], and Hibiscus, the Immortal Maiden's Golden Sun Heart Lamp [a radiant lamp that houses the essence of a golden sun] were all unleashed in succession. Their combined assault shattered Yan Morgrim's Protective Aegis [a defensive barrier of condensed spiritual energy] and sent him flying, his flesh torn and bloodied.

Eldrin Chen seized the moment. He summoned the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss [a sword blazing with the fire of separation, capable of returning all to the abyss] and struck. With a sharp *clang*, he severed Yan Morgrim's head from his shoulders.

Though beheaded, Yan Morgrim was not yet dead. A dark Golden Core [the solidified essence of a cultivator's power, formed at the Golden Core realm] flew out from his body, attempting to flee into the distance.

But Eldrin Chen had been waiting for this. The treacherously subtle Formless Sword [a sword that is nearly invisible and impossible to detect] shot forth, piercing through the air and cleaving Yan Morgrim's Golden Core clean in two.

"BOOM—"

At that very instant, the Formation [a structured arrangement of power, often for attack or defense] formed by the White Metal Star Pearl [a lustrous pearl containing the essence of white metal and starlight] exploded. The Old Patriarch was sent hurtling through the air, coughing up blood.

Yan Morgrim's divine consciousness [a cultivator's heightened spiritual awareness] transferred into his Blood Demon Clone [a duplicate body created through a bloody demonic art]. He cast a venomous glare at Eldrin Chen before fleeing into the distance.

Before vanishing, he roared in humiliated fury, "You vermin! Attacking with a Formless Sword from the shadows—what kind of Sword Cultivator [a practitioner who dedicates their cultivation path to the way of the sword] are you?"

"Next time we meet, a single sword strike shall end you!"

Eldrin Chen declared coldly. He did not give chase. The fiend's Blood Demon Rebirth Grand Technique was astonishingly potent, making it exceedingly difficult to utterly eradicate him.

However, with his Golden Core shattered, the Blood Demon Clone now possessed only the cultivation level of the False Core Realm. To cultivate back to the Golden Core realm would require at least one Jiazi-time [a sixty-year cycle].

Catching Old Patriarch, Eldrin Chen realized with a start that Chen Thalion had suffered severe damage to his vital essence. Having exhausted his mana, he had been invaded by Demonic Fiend Qi [a malevolent, corrupting energy].

"Cough, cough—"

Quickly feeding him a Pill, Eldrin Chen saw Chen Thalion regain a sliver of vitality.

The old man coughed weakly and said, "I am fine. I will not die yet."

Such a grievous wound would require at least one Nurture for a Sixty-Year Cycle of rest for an ordinary person. Fortunately, Old Patriarch cultivated the Solar Separated Flame Scripture, a method supremely effective at countering Demonic Fiend Qi. Even so, he would need twenty years to fully recover.

Eldrin Chen's heart ached with sorrow, but the heat of battle left no room for hesitation. He handed Chen Thalion over to Kael Chen, then, eyes blazing crimson, turned his killing intent toward the Blood-Robed Elder Demon. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio-novel[dot]com.