Chapter 326 : Soul-Devouring Blade's Ascent

This sword could ascend in rank by devouring demonic souls. Having now consumed the soul of the Golden Lion Mastiff, its power surged dramatically in an instant.

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, once the sword's spirit fully refined the Golden Lion Mastiff's soul, the blade should be potent enough to advance to the Fourth Rank Middle Grade.

"Disaster!"

Witnessing the Golden Lion Mastiff also fall to Eldrin Chen, both the Earth Lion Demon King and the Deng Clan Patriarch paled, their expressions twisting with fury.

The balance of the battle had shattered. Lyra Jiang alone possessed the power to suppress them, let alone the remaining peak experts. If they did not break out now, they would surely meet their end.

Yet, the space was sealed by the dual barriers of the Earth-Fortress Earth Origin Disk and the Taiyi Heaven-Sealing Formation. Even with their cultivation, breaching the formation for escape would not be a swift task.

The Deng Clan Patriarch's face shifted through shades of alarm before settling into a grim resolve. "Lion King, hold her off for a moment," he said darkly. "I will shatter this formation."

"Understood."

Grasping the severity of their plight, the Lion King roared, unleashing a barrage of Magical Treasure and divine abilities. He not only summoned his Life-Bound Magical Treasure, the Diamond Lion-Dragon Seal, but also spat forth his Inner Core [the condensed essence core of a powerful demonic beast], hurling both towards Lyra Jiang.

Having only recently broken through to the Golden Core, Mid Stage, Lyra Jiang's Magical Treasure had not yet ascended in rank. For a fleeting moment, the Lion King's desperate assault managed to pin her down. Official source: audio~novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Yet she was not without her own stratagems. A brilliant radiance descended from between her brows, coalescing into a white-robed female figure that interposed itself before Deng Clan Patriarch.

"An External Incarnation Body [a powerful projection of one's spirit and cultivation, capable of independent action]!"

The Deng Clan Patriarch's expression shifted. For Lyra Jiang to have forged an External Incarnation Body from her Life-Bound Magical Treasure [a cultivator's personally bonded and nurtured enchanted artifact], and for it to even wield Magical Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts]—her capabilities were now on par with an ordinary Golden Core, Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Golden Core cultivation stage] cultivator.

Realizing he could not afford to be entangled by the External Incarnation Body, the Deng Clan Patriarch shielded himself with his Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor and allowed Lyra Jiang's projection to assail him.

That External Incarnation Body had not yet advanced to the Fourth Rank High Grade [a high-tier level within the Fourth Rank of power] and found it difficult to breach the defenses of the Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor.

Seeing himself secure for the moment, the Deng Clan Patriarch raised a hand and unleashed a Fourth Rank High Grade Spirit Talisman [a pre-charged scroll or slip containing a potent spell or technique].

This talisman, named the Heaven's Origin Void-Cleaving Demon-Slaying Talisman, was one of the Deng Clan's most closely guarded Deep-Seated Foundation [a foundational, reserve asset or technique kept for critical moments]. Its power rivaled a full-force strike from a Golden Core Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of Golden Core cultivation] expert.

The Patriarch had brought this talisman as his ultimate trump card against Lyra Jiang. However, upon discovering she had broken through to Golden Core, Mid Stage, he knew he stood no chance of defeating her. His only recourse now was to use it to shatter the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy channels and runes for defense, attack, or utility] and escape.

The talisman lived up to its reputation as a top-tier Fourth Rank Talisman. With a single blast, it dimmed the radiance of the spatial formation runes sealing the heavens and earth, draining over half their power.

"We cannot let him escape!"

Seeing this, Lyra Jiang immediately called out in a loud voice.

Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow, understanding that with the Deng Clan Patriarch's methods, it was indeed possible he might break through the Formation if this continued.

Thus, he abandoned his intention to slay the Deng Clan's Golden Core cultivator and instead directed the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords to attack the Deng Clan Patriarch.

"Trouble!"

As Eldrin Chen urged the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords to assault him, the Deng Clan Patriarch finally began to show signs of strain.

However, the Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor lived up to its reputation as a Fourth Rank High Grade Defensive Magical Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact designed to protect its wielder]; for a time, it withstood the combined assault of both opponents without being breached.

Clenching his teeth, the Deng Clan Lord poured his mana to its limits, activating the Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor to its fullest extent, while simultaneously unleashing several of his signature divine abilities to continuously batter the sealing formation runes.

Facing the full-force onslaught from Eldrin Chen and the Water Essence Incarnation [a magical duplicate formed from condensed water essence], even the Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor could not hold for long. It was clear he intended to force his way through the Formation and escape, even at the cost of severe injury.

"Hmph—"

Witnessing this display of power from afar, Lyra Jiang, who was locked in combat with the Earth Lion Demon King, focused her brow. She resolved to end her own battle swiftly.

She parried the Diamond Lion-Dragon Seal with her Heaven's Ruin Immortal-Slaying Sword, then raised her Green Sun Demon-Suppressing Pagoda to block the assault from the Demon King's Inner Core [the condensed life-force core of a powerful demonic beast]. Gritting her teeth, she dredged up the last reserves of her mana to unleash her ultimate trump card, a divine ability she had kept in reserve.

In that instant, five-colored divine radiance descended from the nine firmaments. Five beams of calamitous light, the very essence of heavenly tribulation, pierced through the void and converged directly upon the Earth Lion Demon King.

"The Divine Light of the Five Void Tribulations!"

The Earth Lion Demon King cried out in alarm, a look of utter despair dawning on its bestial features.

The reason the two of them feared Lyra Jiang and felt the need to join forces against her was not primarily the might of her Heaven's Ruin Immortal-Slaying Sword, but rather this very technique—the 'Divine Light of the Five Void Tribulations' [a supreme divine ability that channels the destructive power of heavenly calamities].

After all, slaying a powerhouse at the Golden Core, Late Stage through ordinary means was an exceedingly difficult feat, and they were confident in their own abilities to handle such a challenge. Access the full story on audio-novel[dot]com.

However, the Divine Light of the Five Void Tribulations possessed boundless destructive power. When fueled by Lyra Jiang's mana, which rivaled that of a Golden Core, Late Stage cultivator, its force could reach half the strength of a single strike from a true Nascent Soul expert.

Such a formidable, top-tier Great Divine Ability [a supreme technique of immense power] far surpassed the might of Eldrin Chen's Dual Polarity Divine Thunder. Any ordinary Golden Core, Late Stage cultivator facing it alone would be severely wounded, if not slain outright.

This was why they had fought with such restraint earlier, conserving their divine abilities and mana to guard against Lyra Jiang's Divine Light of the Five Void Tribulations and not daring to commit their full strength recklessly.

But now, the Earth Lion Demon King had exhausted its tricks. Faced with the sudden onslaught of the Divine Light of the Five Void Tribulations, it could only desperately channel power into its Inner Core while crying out in despair.

"Duncan Deng [the Patriarch of the Deng Clan], save me!"

On the other side, Duncan Deng, seeing the Divine Light of the Five Void Tribulations [a supreme divine ability manifesting as a radiant light capable of annihilating all things] bloom forth, not only did not go to the rescue, but instead unleashed another Fourth Rank High Grade [a grade denoting power at the Golden Core Realm's peak] Spirit Talisman [a pre-charged magical seal containing a potent spell] towards the formation runes in the void.

The Earth Lion Demon King [a powerful earth-attribute demonic beast ruler] exhausted all its means to resist, yet in the end, it could not defy fate and overturn the heavens. It was struck into five segments by the power of the Divine Light of the Five Void Tribulations, leaving only its Demonic Core [the condensed essence and life force of a demonic beast] desperately trying to flee.

"You cannot escape."

Lyra Jiang let out a cold laugh. Raising her hand, she invoked the 'Mount Tai Spirit-Suppressing Curse' [a divine ability that manifests the crushing weight of a sacred mountain to suppress a target's spirit]. The Inner Core [another term for a Demonic Core], struck by this divine ability, instantly felt as if a colossal mountain were pressing down upon it and plummeted from the void.

Seizing the opportunity, Lyra Jiang flicked her sleeve, sealing the Demonic Core and storing it away.

At the same moment, Duncan Deng, taking advantage of the moment when Lyra Jiang was channeling her divine ability and her mana was depleted, finally managed to blast open a breach in the blockade with the Fourth Rank [a grade denoting Golden Core level power] Treasure Talisman [a powerful, one-use magical seal] he had unleashed.

His face lit up with maniacal joy as he frantically fled towards the outside world.

Yet at that very instant, Eldrin Chen's eyes snapped open. He drained the last vestiges of mana from the Flood Water Azure Lotus Platform [a magical treasure shaped like a lotus platform, imbued with the power of Flood Water] and, seizing the perfect moment, activated the fusion of the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords [a pair of immortal swords that can combine their power].

"*Clang—*"

In that instant, the twin swords merged into one. A pale sword radiance cleaved through heaven and earth, striking directly towards the direction in which Clan Lord Deng was fleeing for his life.

The timing of this sword strike was exquisitely precise. At this moment, Clan Lord Deng's mana was mostly depleted, and his Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor [a suit of armor forged from crimson-gold glazed metal], having endured the combined assault of the two, had its protective barrier shattered.

Under such circumstances, facing the full-force combined strike of the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords, if Clan Lord Deng chose to meet it head-on, he risked immediate annihilation.

If he instead chose to expend his remaining strength on a defensive technique to block and evade the sword's lethal edge, he would miss his only chance to escape.

In the flash of a lightning bolt, Clan Lord Deng forcibly rallied his waning mana, activating a defensive divine ability to shield his body. Then, heedless of all else, he fled desperately towards the outside of the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy used for attack, defense, or other mystical purposes].

In that single, fleeting moment, the combined cutting edge of the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords shattered his defensive technique. An overwhelming tide of Sword Qi [condensed energy projected from a sword] tore his physical body to shreds.

Yet, at that very instant, a luminous barrier erupted from within his body. It was a pale azure treasure pearl.

The pearl intercepted the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords, shielding Clan Lord Deng's Inner Core [the condensed core of energy within a high-level cultivator or demonic beast]. A beam of light then shot from the pearl and fused with Clan Lord Deng's Inner Core.

Instantly, the treasure pearl shattered. But Clan Lord Deng's Golden Core [the solidified golden core of energy formed at the Golden Core Realm] was now encased within the azure pearl's remnants and shot outwards, streaking into the distant void beyond the heavens.

"A Tribulation-Substituting Treasure Pearl [a rare treasure that can absorb a fatal blow meant for its user, sacrificing itself to save their core essence]!" Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at *audio-novel.com*.