Chapter 295 : Escape from the Demon Kings

The ambusher was actually a Golden Core Realm Demon King. This Crimson Scorpion Demon King was the ruler of Crimson Scorpion Ridge, possessing cultivation at the Golden Core, Mid Stage level, making him an exceptionally formidable foe.

However, Crimson Scorpion Ridge was separated from Chu Kingdom by the Celestial Python Lake. There had long been friction and enmity between the Crimson Scorpion Ridge and the Celestial Python Lake domains. It was unexpected that he would appear here today.

"Reinforcements from a Demon King... this complicates matters."

In the flash of a spark, Eldrin Chen's expression turned grave. He turned and fled without hesitation, merging with his sword-light to streak across the distant sky.

Seeing him attempt to escape, how could the Black Dragon Demon King and the Crimson Scorpion Demon King let him have his way? They immediately unleashed their divine abilities, Magical Treasure [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators], and cultivation arts.

Yet Eldrin Chen showed no fear. His Earth-Fortress Sovereign Bell [a mighty bell-shaped treasure embodying the unyielding power of earth] intercepted the attacks from the two Demon Kings, while his sword-light's speed did not diminish in the slightest as it continued its flight into the distance.

A reckless Golden-Horned Savage Ox tried to block his path. But with its mere Purple Palace, Early Stage cultivation, standing before a Fourth Rank Immortal Sword was nothing but a fool's errand, a sure path to its own demise.

With a sharp *clang*, the sword-light cleaved through the air, bisecting the beast in a single, clean stroke.

Eldrin Chen retrieved the Inner Core [the condensed energy core of a powerful demonic beast] and let out a long, triumphant laugh. His speed, however, never faltered as he vanished into the horizon.

"How dare you!" Continue your cultivation journey at audio-novel.com.

Witnessing such brazen audacity, the Black Flood Dragon Demon King [a powerful demonic ruler of the flood dragon tribe] gave chase in a towering rage.

However, at this level of power, without specialized means to counter it, slaying Eldrin Chen while he was in a state of 'sword-body unity' [a profound state where the cultivator and their sword become one entity] was nearly impossible.

They had underestimated Eldrin Chen's capabilities, never imagining that someone who had not even reached the False Core [a quasi-Golden Core state] realm could already possess combat power rivaling the Golden Core Realm [a major realm where a cultivator forms a solidified golden core of power].

Thus, their pursuit stretched for over one hundred thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], all the way to the outskirts of Celestial Ruins Mountain [a major mountain range and cultivation site], yet proved utterly futile. In the end, they could only retreat, sealing off Celestial Ruins Mountain with bitter resentment.

Upon returning to Celestial Ruins Mountain, Eldrin Chen immediately gathered everyone and declared, "With the Crimson Scorpion Ridge [a demonic territory ruled by scorpion-type beasts] now involved, this conflict is likely to become more troublesome."

"The Crimson Scorpion Ridge."

After hearing his account, solemn expressions settled upon the faces of all present.

Old Patriarch [the venerable elder of the Chen Clan] also paled, a trace of lingering fear in his voice as he said, "Fortunately, they misjudged your strength. In their haste to eliminate you, they forced the Crimson Scorpion Demon King [the ruler of the Crimson Scorpion Ridge] to reveal himself prematurely. Otherwise, that hidden trump card could have dealt us a severe blow."

"The Crimson Scorpion Demon King is a Golden Core, Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Golden Core realm] Demon King [a title for a ruler among demonic beasts]," Xu Darius shook his head, his expression grave. "Even with the current situation, dealing with him will pose a significant challenge for us."

"Do not worry," Eldrin Chen reassured them. "With our combined strength, bolstered by the Formation [a structured array of magical power used for defense or attack] of Celestial Ruins Mountain, we are more than capable of containing both of their Demon King."

Eldrin Chen spoke with a calm, reassuring tone, yet a thread of unease still lingered in the hearts of those present.

Percival Pan could not help but rise to his feet, his expression grave. "If the Golden Lion Mastiff [a powerful demonic beast king] has also come, what are we to do?"

"The Celestial Ruins Mountain Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of spiritual energy] is only of Third Rank High Grade [a specific quality level for spiritual resources]. It cannot unleash the full power of a Fourth Rank Formation [a powerful defensive or offensive magical array]. With our current strength, we simply cannot withstand an assault from three Demon King [a title for a Golden Core realm demonic beast]."

Everyone seated here was a Purple Mansion Cultivator [a cultivator who has opened the third major dantian, the Purple Mansion], yet even their hearts now drummed with apprehension.

Though the assembled force was not weak, facing three Golden Core Demon King [demonic beasts equivalent to the Golden Core realm] leading a horde of Low-Rank Demonic Beast [demonic beasts of the Qi Refinement and Foundation Establishment realms] would likely be a struggle they could not endure.

Old Patriarch [a respectful title for the senior leader of a clan] also voiced his concern. "Could we not request reinforcements from Jiang the Ancient Ancestor?"

"I fear that is not possible."

Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow, shaking his head with a sigh. "A century ago, the primary reason for the defeat at Celestial Python Lake was a miscalculation of our strength. In pursuit of a swift victory, they chose the risky tactic of dividing their forces."

"Now, the Earth Lion Demon King has long had Lyra firmly in its sights. If she were to come to our aid, she would inevitably draw it here as well. That would only serve to escalate the scale of the conflict."

After a moment of contemplation, he spoke again. "This is what we shall do. I will have the forces at Scorched Sun Mountain dispatch Elara Lin and Fang the Ancient Ancestor to reinforce us here."

"By then, we will have added two more False Core Cultivator [cultivators who have formed a pseudo-Golden Core]. That should be barely enough to hold them off and sustain our defenses until the Beast Tide Calamity [a periodic, massive invasion of demonic beasts] concludes."

Upon hearing this, everyone present sighed softly, their hearts silently accepting this decision as the only viable course.

While such a defensive strategy offered little hope of outright victory, it would at least stabilize the current precarious situation and prevent catastrophic losses.

Soon after this council concluded, a significant redeployment of forces within the Heaven's Ruin Alliance [a coalition of cultivation forces] swiftly took place.

Not long after, the two False Core [pseudo-Golden Core] Ancient Ancestor [venerable senior cultivators] who had been garrisoning Scorched Sun Mountain, Elara Lin and Qingmei Fang, arrived at Celestial Ruins Mountain with a contingent of ten Purple Mansion Cultivator [cultivators of the Purple Mansion Realm] in tow, providing much-needed reinforcement.

This redeployment stripped Scorched Sun Mountain of more than half its elite defenders, leaving only Lyra Jiang to face the forces of Earth Lion Ridge alone. Find thousands of chapters at https://audio-novel.com.

The Earth Lion Demon King [a powerful demonic beast ruler] remained wary of Lyra Jiang's formidable Great Divine Ability [a supreme mystical technique], the Divine Light of the Five Void Tribulations [a radiant technique embodying the power of five cosmic calamities]. Conversely, Lyra Jiang alone could not easily penetrate the enemy host to slay the Earth Lion Demon King.

Thus, a tense stalemate settled over Scorched Sun Mountain. Vast hordes of Demonic Beast [monstrous creatures that cultivate demonic energy] gathered below the mountain, relentlessly assaulting the Formation [a structured arrangement of mystical energy] to drain the power of the Mountain Guardian Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array protecting the mountain]. Yet, the two Golden Core [Golden Core Realm] powerhouses refrained from risking a direct, decisive clash.

Compared to the deadlock at Scorched Sun Mountain, the atmosphere at Celestial Ruins Mountain was even more charged, like a drawn bowstring awaiting release.

The Demonic Beast armies continued their relentless buildup. However, the arrival of Elara Lin and Fang the Ancient Ancestor with reinforcements from Scorched Sun Mountain significantly bolstered Celestial Ruins Mountain's defensive capabilities.

Time flowed swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, three months had passed. True to expectations, the Black Flood Dragon Demon King arrived at Celestial Ruins Mountain with an army of several hundred thousand Demonic Tribe warriors.

After the forces from Celestial Python Lake arrived, the Black Flood Dragon Demon King commanded his hundreds of thousands of Demonic Beast to encircle Celestial Ruins Mountain. He then began ordering his Low-Rank Demonic Beast to relentlessly assault the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy and artifacts that creates a powerful defensive or offensive effect], seeking to drain its spiritual power.

The Formation protecting Celestial Ruins Mountain was known as the Celestial Dome Demon-Slaying Grand Formation. Its core was a single Fourth Rank Low Grade Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact of significant power, often requiring cultivation to wield].

This formation-treasure was named the Heaven's Canopy Demon-Slaying Sword. The sword itself possessed a potent inherent suppression against the Demonic Tribe. When amplified by the Formation, its power was sufficient to threaten, or even severely wound, a Golden Core Demon King.

Although both the Black Flood Dragon Demon King and the Crimson Scorpion Demon King were immensely powerful, neither was willing to risk grievous injury by clashing head-on with the Formation.

Furthermore, they needed to conserve a significant portion of their spiritual power. If they expended too much, or were seriously wounded by the Formation, then even if they succeeded in breaking it, they might not gain the upper hand against Eldrin Chen and the other four Human Race cultivators possessing False Core Combat Power.

Under these circumstances, the Black Flood Dragon Demon King began driving vast hordes of Low-Rank Demonic Beast forward as cannon fodder, launching frenzied assaults against the Formation.

Grinding down a Formation's spiritual energy using expendable troops was a relatively protracted process.

Thus, the two sides remained locked in this grueling stalemate for an entire month, the strain beginning to tell on all parties.

The Formation at Celestial Ruins Mountain consumed a staggering amount of resources; the Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation] expended as fuel alone exceeded five hundred thousand pieces.

To expend such a vast sum of Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] merely to power a Formation [a structured arrangement of energy channels and nodes for specific magical effects] would be enough to make even a Golden Core Cultivator [a practitioner who has condensed their spiritual essence into a stable, golden core] feel the sting of a grievous loss, their heart aching with the pain of it.

Yet, in relative terms, a temporary expenditure is always far more economical than the permanent loss of life in battle.

During this period, tens of thousands of Human Race cultivators, sheltered by their Formation, had slain over two hundred thousand Demonic Beast [monstrous creatures tainted by chaotic or malevolent energies] in the span of a single month. This relentless culling had truly crippled the Demonic Beast hordes, striking at their very marrow.

Though the minds of those Low-Rank Demonic Beast [lesser monstrous creatures with rudimentary intelligence] were dim and clouded, they still understood the primal sensation of fear. Having reached this point, even the lash of a Golden Core Demon King [a monstrous sovereign who has attained a power level equivalent to a human Golden Core cultivator] could not drive them forward to certain death any longer.

With the lowly ranks refusing to be sacrificial fodder, the few Golden Core Demon King resolved to take the field themselves.

At this critical juncture, the Crimson Scorpion Demon King and the Black Flood Dragon Demon King surged forth from the void. Even the Golden Lion Mastiff, which had lurked in the shadows, concealed itself no longer. It unfurled its colossal form, spanning hundreds of Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters], and with a single earth-shaking step, it crushed a mountain peak beneath its paw as it advanced. This chapter is part of a larger work available at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.