Chapter 326 : Soul-Devouring Sword's Ascent

This sword could advance in rank by devouring demonic souls. Now, having 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 weapon should be sufficient to ascend to the Fourth Rank Mid-Grade level.

"Disaster!"

Witnessing the Golden Lion Mastiff also fall to Eldrin Chen's blade, both the Earth Lion Demon King and the Deng Clan Patriarch wore expressions of utter panic.

The balance of the battle had been shattered. Exquisite Jiang alone possessed the power to suppress them, let alone the remaining peak-level experts. If they did not break out now, they would likely meet their end here.

Yet, the area was sealed by a dual blockade of the Cultivable Earth Kun Origin Disk and the Primordial Unity Heaven-Sealing Formation. Even with their cultivation, breaching the formation to escape would not be easy.

The Deng Clan Patriarch's face shifted through several shades before settling into a grim mask. "Lion King, hold her off for a moment," he said darkly. "I will break the formation."

"Understood."

Grasping the severity of the situation, the Lion King roared, unleashing several magical treasure [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators] and Divine Ability [a powerful innate or cultivated supernatural technique]. He not only summoned his Lifebound Magical Treasure [a treasure bound to a cultivator's life force], the Vajra Lion-Dragon Seal, but also spat out his Inner Pill [the condensed core of a demon beast's cultivation] and hurled it all towards Exquisite Jiang.

Having only recently broken through to the Golden Core Mid Stage, Exquisite Jiang still had three of her magical treasure [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators] yet to be upgraded. For a moment, she was actually held at bay by the Lion King's furious assault. Dive deeper into the Dao at (audio-novel.com).

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

"An External Incarnation [a powerful spiritual avatar formed from a cultivator's essence and a Lifebound Magical Treasure]!"

The Deng Clan Patriarch's expression shifted. Exquisite Jiang had forged her External Incarnation from a Lifebound Magical Treasure [a magical artifact bound to a cultivator's life force], and it could even wield magical treasures. Its capabilities were now on par with an ordinary cultivator at the Golden Core Mid Stage.

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

That External Incarnation had not yet advanced to the level of a Fourth Rank Superior Grade entity 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 Superior Grade spiritual talisman.

This talisman, named the Celestial Origin Void-Slaying Demon-Slaying Talisman, was one of the Deng Clan's deepest reserves of power. Its might was comparable to a full-force strike from a Golden Core Perfection cultivator.

The Deng Clan Patriarch had brought this talisman as his ultimate means to deal with Exquisite Jiang. However, upon discovering she had broken through to the Golden Core Mid Stage, he realized he stood no chance of defeating her. His only recourse now was to use it to shatter the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy nodes and patterns used for defense, attack, or cultivation] and escape.

The talisman lived up to its reputation as a top-tier Fourth-Rank artifact. With a single strike, it dimmed the radiance of the void-sealing formation patterns that locked down heaven and earth, draining over half of their power.

"We cannot let him escape!"

Seeing this, Exquisite Jiang immediately raised her voice and called out.

Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow, understanding in his heart that with the Deng Clan Patriarch's methods, it was indeed possible he might break through the Formation [a defensive or trapping array of energy] if things continued this way.

Thus, he abandoned his intention to slay the Deng Clan Golden Core Elder and instead directed his Celestial Abyss Twin Swords to attack the Deng Clan Patriarch.

"Not good!"

Seeing Eldrin Chen command his Celestial Abyss Twin Swords to strike, the Deng Clan Patriarch finally began to show signs of strain.

However, the Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor truly lived up to its reputation as a Fourth Rank Superior Grade defensive magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators]; it withstood the combined assault of the two for a time without being breached.

Gritting his teeth, the Deng Clan Patriarch channeled his spiritual energy to activate the Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor to its utmost limit. He then unleashed several of his signature Divine Ability [a powerful supernatural technique] to continuously assail the sealing array patterns.

Facing the full-force onslaught from Eldrin Chen and his Water Essence Avatar, the Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor could not hold out for long. It was clear he intended to force his way through the Formation and escape, even at the cost of severe injury.

"Hmph—"

Watching this man unleash his might from afar, Exquisite Jiang, who was locked in battle with the Earth Lion Demon King, focused her brow. She decided to end her own fight swiftly.

She used the Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword to block the Vajra Lion-Dragon Seal, then expanded the Green Sun Demon-Suppressing Pagoda to shield against the assault of the Demon King Inner Pill. Finally, she mustered her remaining spiritual power to unleash her ultimate, trump-card Divine Ability [a supreme mystical technique].

In that instant, a Five-Colored Divine Light descended from the Nine Heavens. Five beams of calamitous radiance pierced through the void, striking directly at the Earth Lion Demon King.

"The Void Five Tribulations Divine Light!"

The Earth Lion Demon King cried out in alarm, a look of utter despair flashing across its features.

The reason the two of them feared Exquisite Jiang and felt the need to join forces against her was not primarily due to the might of her Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword, but rather because of the 'Void Five Tribulations Divine Light'.

After all, slaying a powerhouse at the Golden Core Late Stage through conventional means was exceedingly difficult, and they were confident they had sufficient methods to handle such a threat. Support the author by reading on audio‑novel.com.

However, the Void Five Tribulations Divine Light possessed boundless destructive power. When fueled by Exquisite Jiang's spiritual power, which rivaled that of a Golden Core Late Stage cultivator, its force reached a level equivalent to half of a strike from an Infant Soul [Nascent Soul] realm expert.

Such a formidable, top-tier Great God Ability far surpassed the power of Eldrin Chen's Two Polarities Divine Thunder. Any ordinary Golden Core Late Stage cultivator facing it alone would be severely wounded, if not killed outright.

This was why they had fought with such restraint earlier, conserving a portion of their Divine Ability-grade spiritual power specifically to defend against Exquisite Jiang's Void Five Tribulations Divine Light and not daring to unleash their full strength recklessly.

But now, the Earth Lion Demon King had exhausted its tricks. Faced with the sudden onslaught of the Void Five Tribulations Divine Light, it could only desperately channel its Inner Pill [the condensed core of a cultivator's or demon beast's power] to resist while crying out in alarm.

"Old Ghost Deng, save me!"

Meanwhile, seeing the Void Five Tribulations Divine Light erupt, Patriarch Deng not only made no move to rescue his ally, but instead unleashed another Fourth Rank Superior Grade spiritual talisman, striking at the array patterns shimmering in the void.

The Earth Lion Demon King exhausted every means to defend itself, yet ultimately could not Heaven-Defying Fate Alteration. Its physical body was shattered into five segments by the power of the Void Five Tribulations, leaving only its Demon Core [the condensed essence of a demon's cultivation] desperately attempting to flee.

"You won't escape."

Exquisite Jiang let out a cold laugh. With a flick of her hand, she invoked the 'Mount Tai Crushing Deity Curse' [a divine ability that exerts immense pressure, akin to the weight of a sacred mountain]. Struck by this Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural technique], the Inner Pill [the core of a cultivator's or demon's power] instantly felt as if a colossal mountain were pressing down upon it, plummeting from the void.

Seizing the moment, Exquisite Jiang swept her sleeve, sealing the Demon Core and storing it away.

At the same time, Patriarch Deng, capitalizing on the moment when Exquisite Jiang's spiritual energy was depleted from invoking the Divine Ability, finally managed to tear a breach in the sealing array with his fourth-rank treasure talisman.

A look of wild elation crossed his face as he frantically fled towards the opening.

It was at this precise instant that Eldrin Chen's eyes snapped open. He drained the last vestiges of energy from the Positive Water Verdant Lotus Throne [a spiritual artifact shaped like a lotus throne, imbued with pure water energy] and, seizing the fleeting opportunity, unleashed the combined power of the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords.

"*Clang—*"

In that instant, the twin swords merged into one. A pale sword light crisscrossed heaven and earth, cleaving directly toward the direction in which the Deng Clan Patriarch was fleeing for his life.

The timing of this strike was exquisitely precise. The Deng Clan Patriarch's spiritual power was now more than half depleted, and his Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor [a suit of enchanted armor], having endured the combined assault of the two cultivators, had its protective barrier shattered.

Under such circumstances, facing the full-force blow of the Sky-Severance Sword Union [a supreme sword technique], the Deng Clan Patriarch risked utter annihilation if he chose to meet it head-on.

If he instead chose to muster all his remaining strength to defend and evade the sword's lethal edge, he would miss his only chance to escape.

In the flash of a spark, the Deng Clan Patriarch forcibly drew upon his dregs of power once more, activating a protective divine ability from the Art of Divine Subjugation [a powerful cultivation method]. Then, heedless of all else, he fled desperately toward the perimeter of the Formation [a structured array of magical energy].

In that same fleeting moment, the combined lethal sharpness of the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords shattered the protective divine ability. A storm of boundless sword energy tore his physical body to shreds.

Yet, at that very instant, a luminous barrier unfurled from within his ruined form. It was a pale azure treasure pearl.

The pearl intercepted the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords, shielding the Deng Clan Patriarch's Inner Pill [the condensed core of a cultivator's power]. It then released a radiant light that fused with the Inner Pill itself.

Instantly, the treasure pearl shattered. However, the Deng Clan Patriarch's Golden Core [a solidified core of golden spiritual energy representing a high cultivation stage] was now encased within the Azure Life-Saving Pearl [a pearl that can substitute for its user to endure a fatal blow] and shot out into the void beyond the heavens.

"A Tribulation-Substituting Treasure Pearl [a rare artifact that can take the place of its bearer to withstand a deadly calamity or attack]," someone exclaimed. Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audio-novel . com.