Chapter 276 : Clash of Immortal Swords and Demonic Springs

The Vault Heaven Immortal Sword [a legendary sword of immense power] surged with unparalleled sharpness, transforming into a dazzling sword aura that cleaved towards the several Golden Core Patriarch [powerful cultivators at the Golden Core stage] of the Demon Cave [a stronghold of demonic cultivators].

Yet, at that very moment, from within the Demonic Spring [a sinister, energy-rich spring] of the Demonic Cultivator Forbidden Land [a forbidden territory controlled by demonic practitioners], erupted an exceptionally powerful baleful aura that ensnared the sword, temporarily restraining it.

This Demonic Cultivator Forbidden Land truly lived up to its fearsome reputation. The might of the Demonic Spring was such that even the Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a supreme artifact designed to suppress demons] found it difficult to break free for the moment.

"This is bad!"

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

Precisely then, the Lord of Demon Cave [the ruler of the Demon Cave] and Grand Granary Old Demon [a powerful and ancient demonic cultivator] sneered coldly, leading countless Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of demonic arts] to swarm forward in a coordinated assault.

A great battle erupted instantly. True Person Zhang [a cultivator of high attainment], dragging his internal injuries, clashed with the Lord of Demon Cave. Both were grievously wounded, yet for the moment, they managed to hold their ground.

Exquisite Jiang [a formidable female cultivator] then soared into the heavens, riding her Immortal Sword [a sword of immortal grade] to attack Grand Granary Old Demon, while Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort [a powerful immortal maiden] engaged in combat with the Blood Robe [a title for a demonic cultivator known for his blood-red robe] Old Demon.

It was at this moment that Yan Old Demon [another powerful demonic cultivator] seized the opportunity, advancing to join the assault against Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort.

"We cannot let this fiend succeed!" Find this and other novels at audio—novel.com.

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted slightly. Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort [a powerful female cultivator] had only broken through to the Golden Core realm a little over one Sixty-Year Cycle ago, and her cultivation was merely at the Golden Core 2nd Tier level. In an environment like the Demon Cave [a perilous cavern infested with demons], if she were to be surrounded and attacked, there was a real danger of her falling in battle.

Thinking this, he glanced at the few people 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 Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword [a divine sword imbued with solar flame energy] and launched an attack towards Yan Old Demon.

Yan Old Demon, however, let out a cold sneer. Three crimson figures materialized above his head and shot forth—they were actually Blood Demon Clone [demonic clones formed from condensed blood essence].

"Be careful!"

Eldrin Chen's expression tightened once more. He clashed with the bloody phantoms and discovered that Yan Old Demon's Blood Demon Clone each possessed combat power rivaling the Pseudo-Core Realm [a stage just below the true Golden Core realm].

In an instant, among the six combatants with Pseudo-Core Realm strength, Immortal Maiden Hibiscus [a cultivator known for her grace and power], Elara Lin, and Eldrin Chen himself were all pinned down and engaged.

Seeing Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort in imminent peril, Eternal Profound Chen intercepted Eldrin Chen's opponent and said, "Go, assist Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort at once."

Eldrin Chen gave a firm nod. Channeling his spiritual energy, he directed his Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword in a sweeping arc, aiming a decisive strike at Yan Old Demon.

This Yan Old Demon cultivated the Blood Demon Grand Art [a formidable demonic cultivation art focused on blood and vitality], granting him first-rate survival capabilities. However, having broken through to the Golden Core [the third major stage of cultivation where one condenses a golden spiritual core] too recently, and without the aid of his Blood Demon Clone [a clone formed from blood essence], he could only focus seriously on dealing with Eldrin Chen.

With a flick of his hand, he summoned his life-bound Demonic Treasure [a magical artifact forged with one's life essence, typically demonic in nature] and unleashed seven demonic specters that surged forward.

The seven specters housed within this Seven-Soul Demonic Banner [a demonic banner that traps and commands seven powerful demon souls] were extraordinarily powerful, each equivalent to a Violet Sanctum Late Stage [the peak of the second major cultivation stage] cultivator. Even a Pseudo-Core Realm Cultivator [a cultivator at the threshold of the Golden Core realm] would have their soul devoured and perish if overwhelmed by all seven simultaneously.

Yet, Eldrin Chen stood firm, unshaken by the peril. As the Seven-Soul Demonic Banner closed in, he activated his Solar True Aegis Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural technique].

"Boom—"

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

At that moment, he resembled a golden sun suspended in the sky. Its holy, brilliant light illuminated the land for a hundred Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], vaporizing countless tendrils of dark, baleful energy into wisps of smoke.

"Disaster! It's a Primordial Solar Divine Ability [a divine ability harnessing the pure, purifying power of the primordial sun]!"

Yan Old Demon cried out in alarm, trying to recall his Demonic Treasure, but it was already too late.

The seven specters, each at the Violet Sanctum Late Stage, lacked physical bodies. Such spectral demons are supremely vulnerable to the Primordial Solar Divine Ability and its purifying Daoist principles, suffering damage multiplied manyfold.

In the span of a single instant, three of the fiends were utterly annihilated, reduced to drifting ash. Of the remaining four, three let out agonized shrieks, suffering wounds of unprecedented severity.

Only one, positioned slightly farther away, escaped with what could barely be considered minor injuries.

"My treasure!"

Witnessing his prized Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to its owner's life force] sustain damage, Yan Old Demon cried out in anguish. With a snarl, he swiftly summoned a Fourth-Rank Demonic Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact of the fourth rank, aligned with demonic energies] and hurled it forward.

However, at that moment, Xavier Xu and Patriarch Fang rushed to provide support. They unleashed their own Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact of the fourth rank] to clash against Yan Old Demon's assault.

The three of them joining forces against Yan Old Demon finally managed to hold their ground, for the moment at least, not falling into a disadvantage. Dive deeper into the Dao at audi0-n0vel.c0m.

Half an hour [one Shichen-time equals two hours] of fierce combat passed in the blink of an eye, and as the stalemate dragged on, the situation grew increasingly perilous.

After swallowing a medicinal pill [an elixir refined for healing or energy restoration], Old Patriarch felt a growing dread. Prolonging the battle deep within the Demon Cave [a cavern infested with demonic entities] risked complete annihilation.

Thus, he decisively summoned seven Venus Stellar Pearl [magical orbs imbued with the essence of the Venus star]. With a sweeping motion, he ensnared the three Blood Demon Clone [physical duplicates created from blood and demonic essence], his expression calm and resolute as he declared.

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

"This..."

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

However, at this critical juncture of the great battle, the two had no time for further words. They immediately unleashed their Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts] to attack Yan Old Demon.

Facing the siege of five Pseudo-Core Realm Cultivator [cultivators whose power approaches the Golden Core realm], Yan Old Demon ultimately found himself at a disadvantage. After all, each of his five opponents was aided by a Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure, which significantly boosted their combat prowess.

With their combined forces, they wielded the equivalent of six Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure, a power sufficient to suppress an ordinary Golden Core Early Stage [a cultivator in the initial phase of the Golden Core realm] cultivator.

Yan Old Demon's Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical treasure bound to its user's life force] was half-destroyed, his three Blood Demon Clone [demonic clones formed from blood and essence] were desperately pinned down by Patriarch Zong, and relying solely on a single fourth-rank demonic sword was hardly enough to defy fate.

Some Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who follow demonic or unorthodox paths] attempted to intervene and break the siege, but they were intercepted by Human Race [the human faction] Violet Sanctum Cultivator [cultivators of the Violet Sanctum realm] such as Kael Chen and Ethan Chen.

The number of participating Human Race Violet Sanctum and Foundation Establishment [cultivators of the Foundation Establishment realm] far exceeded that of the Demonic Cultivator. Even with a multitude of low-tier demonic cultivators providing distraction, the human forces were more than sufficient to suppress them.

"Boom—"

After half a Ke-time [fifteen minutes] of fierce combat, Eldrin Chen finally seized an opportunity. He summoned the Crimson Sun Void-Burning Furnace and, with a decisive motion, ensnared the pitch-black demonic sword within it, subjecting it to searing flames.

Then he unleashed the Magnetic Treasure Mirror [a magical artifact that can lock onto and immobilize other treasures], shackling that Fourth-Rank Immortal Sword [a sword of immortal grade], thereby neutralizing Yan Old Demon's second trump card.

Seeing his two Fourth-Rank Magical Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts]—one half-destroyed and the other locked away—Yan Old Demon finally felt the stirrings of retreat.

Yet the others were naturally unwilling to let him escape. Elara Lin's Ink Snow Immortal Sword [a sword as dark as ink and cold as snow], Xavier Xu's Green Sun Demon-Warding Shuttle [a shuttle that emits a verdant, demon-repelling light], and Immortal Maiden Hibiscus's Golden Sun Heart Lamp [a lamp that shines with the radiance of a golden sun] were unleashed in succession. They shattered Yan Old Demon's protective energy barrier [a defensive aura of spiritual power], battering his flesh into a bloody pulp and sending him flying.

Eldrin Chen seized the moment. He summoned the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword [a sword imbued with the power of solar flames and the abyss] and struck. With a resonant *clang*, he severed Yan Old Demon's head from his shoulders.

Though beheaded, Yan Old Demon was not yet dead. A black Golden Core [the condensed spiritual nucleus of a Golden Core realm cultivator] shot forth 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 strikes from unseen angles] shot forth, piercing through and cleaving Yan Old Demon's Golden Core clean in two.

"BOOM—"

At that very instant, the formation laid by the Venus Stellar Pearl [a treasure pearl containing stellar essence] exploded. The Old Patriarch was sent hurtling through the air, blood spraying from his mouth.

Yan Old Demon's divine sense [a cultivator's spiritual consciousness] reincarnated within his Blood Demon Clone [a clone formed from blood and demonic essence]. He cast a venomous glare at Eldrin Chen before fleeing into the distance.

As he departed, he roared in humiliated fury, "You vermin! Attacking with a Formless Sword from the shadows—what kind of Sword Cultivator [a practitioner who specializes in the way of the sword] are you?"

"Next time we meet, I shall cleave you with a single stroke of my sword!"

Eldrin Chen declared coldly. He did not give chase. This fiend's Blood Demon Reincarnation Grand Art [a profound demonic art that allows the user to escape death by transferring their consciousness into a prepared blood clone] was truly astonishing; completely eradicating him would be exceedingly difficult.

Furthermore, with his Golden Core [the solidified core of a cultivator's power at the Golden Core stage] shattered, his Blood Demon Clone [a clone formed from blood and demonic energy, serving as a vessel for the user's consciousness] now possessed only Pseudo-Core Realm [a realm of power inferior to a true Golden Core] cultivation. For him to cultivate back to the Golden Core Realm [the realm of the solidified Golden Core] would require at least one full Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years, a significant unit of time in cultivation].

Catching Old Patriarch, Eldrin Chen realized with a start that Eternal Profound Chen had suffered severe damage to his vital essence. Having exhausted his spiritual power, the old patriarch had been invaded by the sinister Demonic Fiendish Energy [a corrupting energy born of demonic and fiendish sources].

"Cough, cough—"

He hastily fed him an elixir [a medicinal pill infused with spiritual energy], and only then did Eternal Profound Chen regain a semblance of stability.

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

Suffering such a grievous wound, an ordinary person would require at least one Sixty-Year Cycle to recuperate. Fortunately, the Old Patriarch cultivated the Solar Solar Fire Scripture [a cultivation scripture harnessing the pure, yang energy of the sun], a method supremely effective at countering Demonic Fiendish Energy. Even so, he would need twenty years to fully heal.

Eldrin Chen's heart ached with sorrow, but in the heat of battle, there was no time for grief. He handed Eternal Profound Chen over to Kael Chen, then, his eyes blazing crimson with fury, charged towards Blood-Robed Old Demon. For more chapters, visit audio-novel dot com for the complete novel.