Chapter 293 : The Golden Core Onslaught

After reading the letter, Xavier Xu furrowed his brow and said with concern, "The Earth Lion Demon King has advanced to the Golden Core, Late Stage [the late stage of the Golden Core realm, a high level of cultivation power], and the Golden Lion Mastiff has also broken through to the Demon King Realm [a realm equivalent to the Golden Core stage for demonic beasts]."

"Coupled with the Black Flood Dragon Demon King from Celestial Python Lake, wouldn't we be facing three Golden Core Demon King [demonic beasts possessing power equivalent to a Golden Core cultivator]?"

Everyone's expressions turned grave. Since the information in the letter was gathered by Lyra Jiang's people, there was little doubt of its accuracy.

The strength of the Demonic Tribe [a collective term for demonic beasts and monsters] was likely even greater than what was written on paper, and their numbers would certainly be no fewer.

"Although the Demonic Tribe is formidable, we are not weak either,"

Eldrin Chen spoke up. He conjured a topographic map with his mana, his gaze fixed on Scorched Sun Mountain and Celestial Ruins Mountain as he continued.

"As long as we hold Celestial Ruins Mountain and Scorched Sun Mountain, using these two key Spirit Vein [a geological formation that concentrates and emits spiritual energy] as strategic strongpoints, we should be able to weather this Beast Tide Calamity [a massive, organized invasion by demonic beasts]."

"Scorched Sun Mountain and Celestial Ruins Mountain..."

The others frowned upon hearing this. After a moment of contemplation, Fang the Ancient Ancestor inquired, "Then how shall we deploy our forces?"

"Let the major immortal clans of Bianzhou take responsibility for Celestial Ruins Mountain." For the best reading experience, visit audio . novel . com.

Lyra Jiang spoke, her gaze sweeping over the assembled cultivators from Bianzhou. "With the Chen Clan and the Xu Clan providing three cultivators of False Core Combat Power [combat strength equivalent to a nascent Golden Core cultivator] to anchor its defense, and with the Fourth Rank Formation [a powerful defensive array] at Celestial Ruins Mountain, it should be sufficient to hold back the Black Flood Dragon Demon King."

"However, the pressure from Earth Lion Ridge upon Scorching Sun Ridge remains significant. It will require my personal presence, leading the immortal clans of Qing and Yang Provinces, to secure that front."

Once the overall strategy for the coming conflict was settled and the finer operational details were debated, the council finally drew to a close.

After the others had departed, Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang stood before the strategic map, their expressions pensive and silent.

After a long moment, Lyra Jiang broke the silence. "With the covert support of Azure Wave Lake, the Demonic Tribe will undoubtedly come prepared. The spiritual energy of a Third Rank High Grade Spirit Vein [a high-quality source of ambient cultivation energy] is not infinite. Merely holding our ground, even if successful, may not be enough."

"If we scatter our forces purely for defense, a victory would yield little gain. We must concentrate our strength to shatter one of their prongs decisively."

Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile, a glint of insight flashing in his eyes. "I suspect," he said, "that the Demon King [a ruler among powerful demonic beasts] leading them is likely thinking the very same thing."

As his words hung in the air, the two exchanged a knowing look, their focus shifting in unison toward Celestial Ruins Mountain.

Not lingering long at Green Sun Mountain, Eldrin Chen immediately took to his flying sword and returned to Yu County to begin his final preparations for the war.

Back at Spirit Isle Lake, with roughly two years remaining, he dedicated his spare time to alchemy. He focused on refining batches of restorative Pill [elixirs for cultivation and healing], such as the Purple Aura Pill and the Qi Replenishing Return Pill, which were crucial for mending wounds and replenishing expended spiritual power [cultivation energy].

Now, his Alchemy [the art of refining spiritual pills] had reached a considerable level of mastery. His Pill Success Rate [the percentage of successful pill refinements] for these Third Rank [the third major stage of cultivation] low to middle-grade Pill [a refined spiritual elixir] was no longer considered low. In fact, his success rate for refining the Purple Aura Pill [a pill that enhances the cultivation of one's spiritual aura] had even reached seventy to eighty percent.

Simultaneously, the cultivators of the Chen Clan began to be continuously conscripted. Most of those called to fight were sent to the front lines at Celestial Ruins Mountain [a major mountain range and strategic location], while a portion remained in Yu County to garrison the Yuyang Market [a major trading hub in Yu County].

The entire war machine of the Heaven's Ruin Alliance [a coalition of forces] was thus set into motion. With the nest overturned, no egg remains whole. Across the Three Provinces, whether they were Rogue Cultivator [independent cultivators without sect or clan affiliation] or clan cultivators, almost all received the conscription call and would participate in this great war that occurs once every hundred years.

In the blink of an eye, a year passed, and Eldrin Chen finally departed ahead of schedule for Celestial Ruins Mountain.

Upon arriving at Celestial Ruins Mountain, he discovered that the mountain, now a mustering point for the war, had already gathered fifty thousand cultivators.

It could be said that for this battle, the major immortal clans of the Three Counties of Bianzhou [a border region] had almost exhausted their full strength, mobilizing over seventy percent of their cultivators.

The remaining thirty percent simply could not be mobilized, as the various clans' assets and industries still required personnel to guard them.

A full century had passed since the last Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic invasion by monstrous beasts]. Most of the Qi Refinement Cultivators [practitioners at the first major stage of cultivation] who participated in that war had long since exhausted their lifespans.

Those still alive today had either broken through to the Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation] realm, or their remaining years were so few they possessed no strength to join this new conflict.

Even many of the Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivators [practitioners at the Foundation Establishment stage] from that era had now fallen. Those who survived found their remaining lifespans were not overly abundant either.

Eldrin Chen stood atop the peak of Celestial Ruins Mountain, his heart filled with emotion as he gazed down upon the bustling cultivators below.

This was both a war and a once-in-a-century grand gathering for the cultivation world.

In ordinary times, cultivators were mostly secluded in cultivation. For a market to gather over a hundred cultivators for trade was considered rare. Now, with tens of thousands of low-level cultivators gathered here, it was truly a spectacle seen only once every hundred years.

Everyone seized this opportunity to sell unneeded treasures, while others sought to purchase coveted items.

In the past, many items were exceedingly difficult to find. Many low-level cultivators without backing would have to travel over a hundred thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] and spend several years just to acquire a single desired treasure.

But now, Celestial Ruins Mountain had gathered tens of thousands of cultivators. For Qi Refinement Cultivators, there was basically nothing you couldn't buy here—only things you couldn't afford. Original English translation available at audio-novel.com (official site).

Even Purple Mansion Ancestors and Foundation Establishment Cultivators were taking the chance to host Barter Conventions, hoping to trade for treasures that would satisfy their desires.

"How swiftly time flows,"

Eldrin Chen sighed at the fleeting nature of time, his heart also reminiscing about the events of days gone by.

A hurried century had passed. The mortal realm remained as bustling and crowded as ever; it was merely the faces in the crowd that had changed.

The great war of a century ago seemed as if it had happened just yesterday. Back then, Celestial Ruins Mountain was just as bustling and vibrant, with cultivators from all corners of Bianzhou gathering together, trading treasures in a similarly lively and fervent atmosphere.

Beside him, Old Patriarch, Xavier Xu, and the others also felt a wave of nostalgia. Now that a hundred years had passed, having weathered two or three Beast Tide Calamity themselves, they could naturally empathize with Eldrin Chen's sentiments.

At that very moment, a streak of flowing light shot over from the distance and landed before the group.

The arrival was none other than Celestia Meng. The Meng Clan had exhausted centuries of accumulated resources, depleting their own Deep-Seated Foundation [the profound foundational energy accumulated over a long period of cultivation], to purchase two Five Elements Treasure Crystals from the Chen Clan. This finally allowed her cultivation to advance into the Purple Mansion realm [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a spiritual mansion within the dantian].

Seeing her land, Eldrin Chen inquired, "What is the situation?"

Celestia Meng cultivated a Breath Concealment Divine Ability [a mystical art for masking one's presence and aura], making her exceptionally suited for reconnaissance. This time, she had been dispatched to scout the movements of the Demonic Beast [monstrous creatures that absorb spiritual energy, often hostile to cultivators].

"The Black Flood Dragon Demon King has already mobilized his forces. Their spearhead is aimed directly at Celestial Ruins Mountain," she reported.

She glanced at Eldrin Chen and offered a slight bow before continuing.

Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment, then asked further, "How large is the force dispatched from Celestial Python Lake this time? Approximately how long until they arrive?"

"The Demonic Beast Army is currently still one hundred thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] away from us. Given the speed of the Demonic Beast, it will take at least three more months for them to arrive."

Celestia Meng [a cultivator from the Meng Clan] spoke, then added, "To avoid alerting the Demon King [a powerful ruler among demonic beasts], I did not venture deep into the heart of the Demonic Beast Army [a vast horde of monstrous creatures]. However, my initial estimate places their numbers at no fewer than three hundred thousand."

"Among them, I identified twelve Purple Mansion Demonic Beast [demonic beasts possessing power equivalent to the Purple Mansion cultivation realm]. Their main force consists of three from the Six-Winged Golden Butterfly [a species of powerful, six-winged golden demonic butterflies] lineage, two from the Golden-Horned Savage Ox [a breed of ferocious, golden-horned demonic oxen] lineage, and two from the Demon Wolf tribe."

"The remainder are from the Demonic Serpent Tribe [a tribe of serpentine demons] and Purple Mansion Demonic Crocodile [crocodilian demonic beasts of Purple Mansion strength] native to Celestial Python Lake [a vast lake domain]. Among these, there is one at the Purple Palace, Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Purple Mansion realm]."

Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a cultivator from the Chen Clan] nodded in understanding. During the peak of Celestial Python Lake's power, the Celestial Python Demon King [the former sovereign ruler of the Celestial Python Lake domain] had commanded over thirty Purple Mansion Demonic Beast under his banner. Join our community of readers at audio-novel dot com.