Chapter 277 : A Golden Core's Final Sacrifice

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

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

Although True Person Zhang possessed formidable spiritual power, the opposing Lord of Demon Cave was no weakling. Crucially, within the confines of the Demon Cave [a cavernous lair teeming with demonic energy], this fiend was unleashing combat prowess on par with a Golden Core Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Golden Core realm] cultivator.

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

True Person Zhang surveyed the grim scene around him, and a resolve to face death 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 pay a grievous price!"

As his words faded, he forcibly disintegrated his physical body. His Golden Core [the condensed core of a cultivator's power, formed at the Golden Core realm], wrapped in his own flesh and blood, shot towards the Vault Heaven Immortal Sword [a divine sword capable of cleaving the heavens], which was still bound by the Demonic Spring's [a spring of concentrated demonic energy] baleful aura.

"No!"

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

By sacrificing his own flesh, blood, and Golden Core to empower the sword, True Person Zhang caused the Vault Heaven Immortal Sword's might to surge violently. It forcefully severed the shackles of the Demonic Spring's baleful aura. Published by audio~novel.com. All rights reserved.

It turned out that True Person Zhang was a direct descendant of the master of the Vault Heaven Immortal Sword. Though millennia had passed, by using his own cultivation at the Golden Core Late Stage and performing a blood sacrifice with his lineage, he managed to push the Vault Heaven Immortal Sword's power to its absolute zenith.

This took everyone by surprise. No one had imagined that True Person Zhang shared such a profound connection with the Vault Heaven Immortal Sword, nor that he possessed such a fierce and resolute will.

Now, the Vault Heaven Immortal Sword was fully awakened, its might akin to that of an Infant Soul True Lord personally wielding an Immortal Sword. Its first slash cleaved the Lord of Demon Cave cleanly in two.

Despite the Lord of Demon Cave exhausting every means at his disposal, only a single Golden Core managed to escape the devastation.

The second sword strike was aimed at Grand Granary Old Demon. This demon had not suffered any grievous wounds and his power here had even reached the level of Golden Core Perfection.

Yet, even he dared not face such a blow head-on. He sacrificed three of his Demonic Treasure [enchanted artifacts used by demonic cultivators], shattering them to pieces, and suffered severe injuries as the price for his escape.

The first sword strike consumed True Person Zhang's bloodline essence; the second exhausted his very cultivation base.

After those two world-shaking slashes, with his lineage and power utterly spent, True Person Zhang fell lifeless on the spot. The Vault Heaven Immortal Sword's radiance dimmed considerably thereafter.

It ceased its attacks on the Golden Core-level Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of unorthodox, often malevolent, cultivation arts] and instead soared upward to join the Heaven's Vault Mirror in besieging the Seven Fiend Demon Skulls.

Though neither of these two Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [magical artifacts of the highest order, specifically designed to vanquish demonic forces] was at its peak strength, their combined assault successfully suppressed the rampant aura of the Seven Fiend Demon Skulls.

Witnessing three of the four Golden Core old demons escape, the Blood-Robed Old Demon still sought to flee for his life, but alas, it was already too late.

Striking with pent-up fury, Exquisite Jiang unleashed the Void Five Tribulations Divine Light [a supreme divine light technique capable of annihilating all within the void], obliterating the fiend between heaven and earth in a single blow.

Though one Golden Core old demon was slain and the physical body of the Lord of Demon Cave was destroyed, the price paid in this battle was far too great.

Exquisite Jiang sighed, understanding they could fight no longer. The battle had raged for nearly two Shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours]. To continue would see the combat effectiveness of the Foundation Establishment cultivators and the Violet Sanctum Demonic Beast Violet Sanctum Cultivator gradually wane.

Meanwhile, the Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of malevolent, demonic arts] could constantly replenish their strength with baleful energy, inevitably recovering their peak power. If the fight dragged on, Grand Granary Old Demon would most likely return to join the fray.

The two Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [peerless artifacts specifically forged to suppress demonic forces] had suffered immense damage during the previous Demonic Abyss Cataclysm and had yet to recover their full former glory. Continuing the fight would likely make it impossible to suppress the Seven Fiend Demon Skulls.

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

"These Demonic Cultivator..."

Eldrin Chen cleaved a Violet Sanctum Demonic Cultivator in two with his sword, his gaze icy cold.

The army began an orderly withdrawal, with Eldrin Chen and the other combatants possessing Pseudo-Core Realm strength providing cover at the rear.

It took half a Shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours] to finally emerge from the Demon Cave. The hundreds of Foundation Establishment cultivators and the various Violet Sanctum Patriarch elders, forgetting all past decorum, could not help but collapse onto the ground, immediately beginning to expel the invasive Demonic Qi [malevolent spiritual energy].

"Alas."

Once outside the Demon Cave, Eldrin Chen swept his gaze over the surrounding cultivators, a pang of despondency flickering in his heart.

Before this battle commenced, a full five Golden Core Cultivator had entered. Yet, Grand Granary True Person had betrayed them, True Person Taiqing was treacherously slain by his own sect master, and Sect Master Zhang had met a most heroic, yet tragic, end.

Only Exquisite Jiang and Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort had managed to escape. The Demonic Cultivator forces, however, had lost merely one Golden Core expert—the Blood RobePatriarch. By any measure, this was a devastating and bitter defeat.

The sole consolation was that the Lord of Demon Cave's physical body had been destroyed. Even with the power of the Demonic Spring to reform his flesh, it would consume at least one Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years]. For the best reading experience, visit www . audio-novel.com.

Grand Granary True Person had also suffered grievous wounds, while Yan Old Demon had his Golden Core shattered, temporarily falling back to the Pseudo-Core Realm. For both sides, this had been a war of unparalleled ferocity and loss.

For both sides, this had been a war of unparalleled ferocity and loss.

"BOOM—"

Just as these thoughts flashed through Eldrin Chen's mind, two streaks of radiant light shot forth from the depths of the Demon Cave. It was the Vault Heaven Immortal Sword and the Heaven's Vault Mirror, having fought their way free.

"We should withdraw."

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

Continuing the fight under these circumstances would be futile; even using the Heavenly Flame Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation and the Azure Verdancy Formation Disk to besiege the Demon Cave would serve no purpose now.

With the impending Beast Tide, they currently lacked the strength to maintain a siege on the Demon Cave.

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

"..."

Seven days later.

Within a grand hall on the Path-Field of the Firmament Sword Sect.

Several figures sat with grave expressions, each meditating 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 forms a solidified golden spiritual core]: Exquisite Jiang, Immortal Maiden Spirit Consort, the Grand Elder of the Firmament Sword Sect, True Person Qian [a title for a Golden Core cultivator], Elder Lin, and finally, True Person Great Defense from the Verdant Azure Immortal Sect.

At this moment, the Grand Elder of the Firmament Sword Sect, True Person Qian, gazed at True Person Great Defense with a flicker of killing intent in his eyes.

"True Person Great Defense, your Verdant Azure Immortal Sect caused the fall of our Sect Master. You must give an account for this matter."

"This matter..."

True Person Great Defense wore an expression of profound distress. In a single night, his senior brother, the Sect Master, had turned traitor and even slain his own junior sister—a turn of events that had completely blindsided him.

When he received the news, True Person Great Defense had to ask several times before the reality of it truly sank in.

Even now, True Person Great Defense felt his head swimming, his mind clouded and disoriented.

After a long silence, he swallowed hard and spoke with a trembling voice, "The fault for this matter indeed lies with our Verdant Azure Immortal Sect."

"Our sect possesses a Great Earth Origin Vein [a powerful spiritual vein that concentrates the essence of the earth] of the Fourth Rank Mid-Grade. After one Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years, considered significant in fate and cultivation], it will give birth to the next Earth Origin Treasure Pearl [a precious pearl condensed from the concentrated essence of the earth]. We shall offer it to you as compensation."

A single Earth Origin Treasure Pearl was clearly insufficient compensation. Yet, seeing True Person Great Defense's frail, trembling state, True Person Qian felt a pang of sympathy in his heart.

True Person Great Defense was already seven hundred and fifty years old. If they were to offer more than two pearls as compensation, the Verdant Azure Immortal Sect would likely face the severing of its legacy.

Exquisite Jiang [the Immortal Maiden of the Jiang Clan], standing nearby, also spoke. "The reason for this great defeat lies in the joint machinations of the Demon Monarch [a high-ranking demon lord] and the Demon Emperor [the supreme ruler of the demon race]. The blame cannot be placed entirely on the Verdant Azure Immortal Sect [a major immortal cultivation sect]."

Hearing her words, True Person Qian [a cultivator who has attained the True Person realm] suppressed his thoughts of seeking further compensation.

He turned his gaze to Exquisite Jiang and could not help but ask, "Immortal Maiden Jiang, with two Golden Core Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Golden Core cultivation realm] demons now occupying the Demon Cave [a cavernous lair inhabited by demons], I fear it has become a grave threat. What should we do?"

"Since the Demon Monarch and the Demon Emperor have laid this trap, this is no longer solely our own affair,"

Exquisite Jiang said calmly, her eyes fixed on the distant void. "Send word to Ji Nation [a nation-state within the cultivation world] and inquire with the Ji Clan [a powerful cultivation clan]." Join our community of readers at @udio-novel.com.