Chapter 277 : The Ultimate Sacrifice of a True Person

At this very moment, the situation in several key battles in the distance had taken a dire turn.

Aside from Lyra Jiang, both the Mirror of the Vast Heaven and Zhang the True Person were at a disadvantage. The Mirror of the Vast Heaven, fighting under unfavorable conditions, would likely be suppressed once its power was exhausted.

Although Zhang the True Person possessed formidable mana, his opponent, the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern, was no weakling. Crucially, within the confines of the Demon Cave Cavern, this demon's combat prowess had risen to rival that of a Golden Core Great Perfection cultivator.

Under such circumstances, Zhang the True Person had fallen into an absolutely perilous position. A single misstep could spell his doom.

Zhang the True Person surveyed the grim scene around him, and a resolve to meet his end began to settle in his heart.

With a bitter laugh, he suddenly declared in a loud voice, "Even if I perish today, I shall make your Demon Cave Cavern pay a grievous price!"

As his words faded, he forcibly disintegrated his physical body. His Golden Core [the crystallized essence of a cultivator's power], wrapped in his flesh and blood, surged toward the Firmament Immortal Sword still bound by the malignant Qi [a corrupt and harmful form of spiritual energy].

"No!"

The Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern tried to intercept, but it was already too late.

Witnessing Zhang the True Person sacrifice his own flesh, blood, and Golden Core to empower the sword, the Firmament Immortal Sword erupted with a terrifying surge of might. It violently severed the shackles of malignant Qi emanating from the Demonic Spring [a corrupted spiritual spring]. Access the full story on audio–novel.com.

It turned out that Zhang the True Person was a direct descendant of the original master of the Firmament Immortal Sword. Though millennia had passed, by sacrificing his own bloodline and drawing upon his Golden Core, Late Stage cultivation, he managed to unleash the sword's power to its absolute zenith.

This development stunned everyone. No one had anticipated that Zhang the True Person shared such a profound connection with the Firmament Immortal Sword, nor that he possessed such a fierce and resolute will. Now, with the sword fully awakened, its strike carried the might of a Nascent Soul True Lord personally wielding it. The first slash cleaved Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern cleanly in two.

Despite exhausting every last trick and treasure, Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern could only manage to flee with a single, battered Golden Core.

The second swordstroke descended upon Taicang the Elder Demon. This fiend, who had not yet suffered serious injury here and whose power had even reached the Golden Core Great Perfection level, dared not meet the blow head-on. He sacrificed three of his Demonic Treasure [powerful artifacts forged with demonic energy], shattering them to fuel his escape, and still emerged grievously wounded.

The first swordstroke had consumed Zhang the True Person's bloodline essence; the second drained the very last of his cultivation base.

After those two world-shaking strikes, with his bloodline extinguished and his cultivation exhausted, Zhang the True Person fell lifeless on the spot. The Firmament Immortal Sword's radiant power dimmed considerably.

No longer targeting the Golden Core-level Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use malevolent and corrupting energies to cultivate], it instead shot upwards to join the Mirror of the Vast Heaven in besieging the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls.

Even though neither of these two Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [artifacts of supreme power specifically designed to counter demonic forces] were at their peak, their combined assault successfully suppressed the baleful aura radiating from the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls.

Of the four Golden Core Elder Demon, three had now fled. The blood-robed elder demon sought to follow suit and make his escape, but it was already far too late.

Lyra Jiang [the Immortal Maiden Lyra Jiang] struck out with bitter hatred, unleashing the Divine Light of the Five Void Tribulations [a supreme technique of devastating power]. With a single blow, she annihilated the fiend upon the face of the earth.

Though they had slain a Golden Core Elder Demon [a powerful demonic cultivator at the Golden Core stage] and destroyed the physical body of the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern [the ruler of the Demon Cave], the cost of this battle was far too grievous.

Lyra Jiang let out a sigh, understanding they could fight no longer. The battle had raged for nearly two Shichen-time [a period of four hours]. If it dragged on, the combat power of the Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation] cultivators and the Purple Mansion Demonic Beast [demonic beasts at the Purple Mansion realm] and Purple Mansion Cultivator [cultivators at the Purple Mansion realm] would gradually wane.

Meanwhile, the Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of dark, demonic arts] were constantly replenished by the malignant energies, destined to regain their peak strength. If they lingered, Taicang the Elder Demon [the ancient demon Taicang] would most likely return to join the fray.

The two Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [supreme artifacts designed to suppress demons] had suffered immense depletion during the previous Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a great calamity involving the Demonic Abyss] and had not yet recovered their full glory. Continuing the fight would likely prove insufficient to suppress the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls [a set of seven demonic skull treasures].

Raising her head to glance at the sky, she looked helplessly at the others and declared, "We must withdraw for now. We shall reclaim our honor another day."

"These Demonic Cultivator..."

Eldrin Chen [the cultivator Eldrin Chen] cleaved a Purple Mansion Demonic Cultivator [a demonic cultivator at the Purple Mansion stage] in two with his sword, his gaze icy cold.

The army began an orderly retreat, with Eldrin Chen and the other few possessing False Core [a quasi-Golden Core level of power] combat strength covering the rear.

It took half a Shichen-time [one hour] to emerge from the Demon Cave Cavern [the cavernous demon stronghold]. The several hundred Foundation Establishment cultivators and the various Purple Mansion Ancestor [senior cultivators at the Purple Mansion stage] cast aside their usual dignified bearing, collapsing to the ground to begin expelling the invasive malignant energies.

"Alas."

After emerging from the Demon Cave Cavern, Eldrin Chen swept his gaze over the numerous cultivators around him, a flicker of despondency passing through his heart.

Before this battle commenced, a full five Golden Core Cultivator [powerful cultivators who have condensed their spiritual essence into a golden core] had entered. Yet, Taicang the Venerable had betrayed them, Taiqing the True Person had been ambushed and slain by his own sect master, and Zhang Sect Master had met a death of unparalleled valor.

Only Lyra Jiang and Spirit Consort, the Immortal Maiden had managed to escape. The Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who follow a dark, power-at-any-cost path], however, had lost only a single Golden Core expert—Blood-Robed Ancient Ancestor. By any measure, this was a devastating and bitter defeat.

The sole consolation was that the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern's physical body had been destroyed. Even with the power of the Demonic Spring [a fount of corrupt spiritual energy] to reform his flesh, it would consume an entire Jiazi-time [a sixty-year cycle].

Taicang the Venerable had also sustained grievous injuries, and Yan Morgrim had suffered the destruction of his Golden Core, temporarily falling to the False Core Realm [an unstable, pseudo-Golden Core state].

For both sides, this had been a war of unmitigated carnage. Your portal to cultivation novels: AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.

"BOOM—"

Just as these thoughts flashed through Eldrin Chen's mind, two streaks of radiant light erupted from the depths of the Demon Cave Cavern. It was the Firmament Immortal Sword and the Mirror of the Vast Heaven [a legendary treasure mirror said to reflect the truths of heaven and earth], having fought their way free.

"Withdraw."

Gazing at the Demon Cave Cavern before them, Lyra Jiang shook her head and spoke.

Under these circumstances, continuing the siege would be futile. Even surrounding the Demon Cave Cavern with the Heavenly Fire Demon-Refining Grand Formation and the Verdant Formation Plate would serve no purpose.

With the impending Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic, devastating invasion of demonic beasts], they currently lacked the strength to maintain a blockade of the cavern.

As the army withdrew, several messages were dispatched in quick succession.

Seven days later.

Within a grand hall of the Firmament Sword Sect's Dao Field [a cultivator's sanctified place of practice].

Several figures sat with grave expressions, each positioned solemnly within the chamber.

Apart from Eldrin Chen, all present were cultivators of the Golden Core Realm [the third major stage of cultivation, where one's spiritual energy condenses into a solid, golden core]. They were: Lyra Jiang, Spirit Consort, the Immortal Maiden, the Grand Elder of the Firmament Sword Sect, Qian the True Person [a title for a respected Golden Core cultivator], Lin the Elder, and finally, Taiwu the True Person from the Verdant Immortal Sect.

At this moment, the Grand Elder of the Firmament Sword Sect, Qian the True Person, fixed his gaze on Taiwu the True Person, a flicker of killing intent in his eyes.

"Taiwu the True Person," he said, his voice cold, "your Verdant Sword Sect is responsible for the fall of our Sect Master. You must provide an explanation for this."

"This matter..."

Taiwu the True Person's face was etched with profound sorrow. In a single night, his sect's leader had betrayed them and even slain his own junior sister. This outcome had completely blindsided him.

When the news first reached him, Taiwu the True Person had to ask for confirmation several times before the reality of it truly sank in.

Even now, Taiwu the True Person felt his mind reeling, his thoughts clouded and chaotic.

After a long silence, he swallowed hard and spoke, his voice trembling. "The fault for this calamity does indeed lie with our Verdant Immortal Sect."

"Our sect possesses a Fourth Rank Middle Grade Great Earth Origin Vein [a powerful earth-aligned spiritual vein]. In one Jiazi-time [a sixty-year cycle], it will nurture the next Earth Essence Treasure Pearl [a precious pearl condensed from earth essence]. When the time comes, we shall offer it to you as compensation."

A single Earth Essence Treasure Pearl was clearly insufficient recompense. Yet, seeing Taiwu the True Person's frail, trembling form, Qian the True Person felt a pang of sympathy in his heart.

Taiwu the True Person was already seven hundred and fifty years old. If they demanded more than one or two such treasures as compensation, the Verdant Immortal Sect would likely face the severance of its legacy.

Lyra Jiang spoke from the side. "Our defeat in this battle was orchestrated by the joint schemes of a Demon Monarch [a powerful demonic cultivator] and a Demon Emperor [a ruler among demonic beasts]. We cannot place the blame entirely upon the Verdant Immortal Sect."

Hearing her words, Qian the True Person suppressed his desire to press for further compensation.

He turned his gaze toward Lyra Jiang and could not help but ask, "Immortal Maiden Lyra, with two Golden Core, Late Stage [the advanced stage of the Golden Core cultivation realm] cultivators now entrenched within the Demon Cave Cavern, I fear it has become a calamitous threat. What should we do?"

"Since the Demon Monarch [a powerful demonic ruler] and the Demon Emperor [the sovereign of a demonic tribe] have laid their schemes, this is no longer merely our own affair to bear,"

Lyra Jiang stated calmly, her eyes fixed on the distant void. "Send word to Ji Nation and inquire of the Ji Clan." This novel is serialized on AUDIO-NOVEL.COM. Visit for updates.