Chapter 329 : Treasures of the Demon Kings

Beyond the four exceptionally valuable Fourth Rank Superior Grade Magical Treasure [artifacts of the highest quality within the fourth rank], there were also four Fourth Rank Mid-Grade [fourth rank, middle quality] magical treasures [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators], and three Fourth Rank Low-Grade [fourth rank, lowest quality] magical treasures [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators].

The four Fourth Rank Mid-Grade [fourth rank, middle quality] treasures comprised: Heaven Leviathan Deng's 'Heaven's Edge God-Slaying Blade'; the 'Savage Ox Blood Armor' belonging to the Savage Ox Demon King; and a set of Formation Artifact [magical treasures designed to be used together in a formation]—the 'Heavenly Demon Blade' and the 'Calamity Passage Mystic Pearl'—that had belonged to the Earth Lion Demon King.

The Heavenly Demon Blade and Calamity Passage Mystic Pearl within this set had been configured as Formation Artifact [magical treasures designed to be used together in a formation]. It could be said they had passed through the hands of the Demon King [a ruler among demonic cultivators, equivalent to a human Nascent Soul cultivator] of Azure Wave Lake.

Worried that the Demon King [a ruler among demonic cultivators, equivalent to a human Nascent Soul cultivator] might have left some hidden contingency within them, they decided to replace these two treasures. They substituted this set of Formation Artifact [magical treasures designed to be used together in a formation] with the Heaven's Edge God-Slaying Blade and the Savage Ox Blood Armor, then re-established the grand formation and installed it upon Earth Lion Ridge.

The three Fourth Rank Low-Grade [fourth rank, lowest quality] items were, respectively, an Ancient Bronze Cauldron, a Golden Sun Divine Flame Lamp, and a Mountain-Suppressing Stone Stele.

The Ancient Bronze Cauldron was taken by Exquisite Jiang. She intended to use it as a defensive Formation Artifact [a magical treasure designed to be used in a formation] to be deployed at Heavenly Ruins Lake, thereby strengthening the defensive capabilities of Heavenly Ruins Lake.

Eldrin Chen simply decided to acquire the remaining two treasures as well. He planned to use them as Formation Artifact [magical treasures designed to be used together in a formation] to be installed upon Green Chariot Mountain, thereby increasing the power of the clan's defensive Formation [a structured arrangement of energy channels and artifacts that creates a powerful magical effect, often for defense or confinement].

After exchanging these treasures, there remained one set of the Primordial Unity Heaven-Sealing Formation. This formation's rank was as high as Fourth Rank Superior Grade [the highest quality within the fourth rank], and the two of them planned to deploy it at Spirit Isle Lake.

Currently, the Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy within the earth] at Spirit Isle Lake had already reached the fourth rank. Using a Third Rank Formation [a formation of the third rank] was no longer sufficient. Furthermore, since Spirit Isle Lake served as the secluded cultivation ground for Eldrin Chen and his dao companion, they were naturally willing to invest heavily in its protection.

In addition, the Storage Bag [a spatial pouch used by cultivators to store items] belonging to the several Golden Core Cultivator [cultivators who have formed a Golden Core, a solidified core of spiritual energy] also contained some Spirit Stones [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation] and other supplies. Experience the full epic at audio . novel . com.

Previously, Eldrin Chen had personally taken inventory and discovered that within the Storage Bag [a spatial artifact for storing items] of the three Deng Clan members, there were over two million Spirit Stones [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy]. There were also several scrolls of Divine Ability Jade Slips [jade slips recording powerful supernatural abilities], and cultivation arts whose value was also quite considerable.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen glanced at Exquisite Jiang and said, "In this battle, the various Immortal Clans [powerful clans of cultivators] held back hundreds of thousands of demonic beasts and four or five dozen Violet Sanctum Great Monsters [powerful monsters at the Violet Sanctum realm]. Their contribution can be said to be equivalent to that of two or three Golden Core [cultivators at the Golden Core realm]."

"In my view, we should also take out a portion of the fourth-rank cultivation arts and Spiritual Objects [objects imbued with spiritual power] to be distributed as rewards."

"Hmm, then let's take out a few scrolls of cultivation arts and several fourth-rank Spiritual Objects for everyone to choose from."

Exquisite Jiang also nodded in agreement. The great clans and Violet Sanctum Cultivators [cultivators at the Violet Sanctum realm] had fought desperately, fundamentally for a chance at advancement.

In this battle, they had unexpectedly slain the three Golden Core cultivators of the Deng Clan, gaining a considerable windfall of treasures. Offering a few fourth-rank Spiritual Objects and cultivation arts as rewards would serve as great encouragement for everyone.

After the meeting concluded and the treasures were divided, Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before speaking. "Two of the three Golden Core cultivators of the Deng Clan have fallen in battle, with only that old ghost escaping. This means the two Spiritual Veins [geological formations that concentrate spiritual energy] belonging to the Deng Clan may now lie vacant."

"We have already spent considerable time consolidating our hold on Earth Lion Ridge. I intend to make a trip to the Yan Kingdom to settle matters concerning the Deng Clan."

Exquisite Jiang nodded, a flicker of understanding in her eyes. "The Deng Clan colluded with the Demon Race this time, a crime punishable by death. As long as we explain the full circumstances to Ji Clan True Lord [a True Lord cultivator from the Ji Clan] of the Yan Kingdom, we will be acting from a position of moral righteousness."

"I understand."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod. That very day, he mounted his flying sword and departed from Earth Lion Ridge, soaring towards the direction of the Yan Kingdom.

The distance from Earth Lion Ridge to the Yan Kingdom spanned over three million Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. Even with Eldrin Chen's current speed on his flying sword, the journey took a full month before he finally reached the borders of the Yan Kingdom.

No sooner had he arrived in the Yan Kingdom than Eldrin Chen witnessed numerous streaks of light chasing and clashing in the skies. The combatants appeared to be cultivators from the Deng Clan and members of the Yan Kingdom's Immortal Clan Alliance.

His brow furrowed slightly. With a flick of his sleeve, he immobilized the cultivators from both sides and summoned a Foundation Establishment Cultivator [a cultivator who has solidified their spiritual foundation] before him. "Why is there such chaos within the Yan Kingdom?" he inquired. "What has transpired here?"

"S-senior..."

The Foundation Establishment Cultivator trembled, casting a terrified glance at Eldrin Chen. The aura radiating from this man was as vast and brilliant as the sun, making his own spiritual presence seem like the faint glow of a firefly—an incomparable gulf.

Realizing this, he dared not conceal the truth. "Senior," he stammered, voice quivering, "a great calamity has occurred. The foremost Immortal Clan of the Yan Kingdom, the Deng Clan, has suddenly undergone a massive upheaval. Now, the entire kingdom is hunting down the clan's cultivators."

Eldrin Chen's expression shifted subtly. He quickly pieced together the full story from the man's account.

It turned out that two months prior, the cultivators guarding the ancestral shrine of the Deng Clan had discovered that two of their clan's Soul Lamp [a magical lamp whose flame is tied to the life force of a specific individual] had extinguished. The Deng Clan's upper echelons immediately understood that a dire catastrophe had likely befallen their Patriarch [the supreme leader of a clan or sect].

Merely three days later, all forty-some Violet Sanctum Patriarch [a patriarch who has cultivated their spirit to the Violet Sanctum realm] of the Deng Clan had returned to the clan stronghold to convene an emergency Council of Elders [the governing body of senior members in a clan or sect].

They too sensed the situation was dire. After convening and deliberating, they decided to divide and secretly transfer the clan's treasures, then quietly conceal their cultivation bases and flee the Yan Kingdom cultivation world [the realm where cultivators reside and pursue immortality].

This way, if Old Ghost Deng also perished, they would never return to the Chu Nation. If the clan leader survived, they would wait for a favorable turn of events before coming back.

They spent seven days secretly moving assets from the clan and various market towns. However, their actions were detected by the major Immortal Clans [powerful families of cultivators] within the Yan Kingdom cultivation world.

Consequently, a Golden Core Cultivator [a cultivator who has formed a solidified golden core of spiritual power] employed a Divine Ability [a supernatural technique or power] to sense the auras of the three Patriarchs of the Deng Clan. This sensing revealed that the auras of the clan's three Golden Core experts were nearly extinguished, indicating they had most likely fallen.

Overnight, the once supremely esteemed cultivators of the Deng Clan became a coveted prize in the eyes of the Chu Nation Cultivation World.

Lured by the wealth they carried, various great clans and rogue cultivators from the Yan Kingdom cultivation world launched a relentless pursuit against the Deng Clan members. The story continues at audio–novel.com.

Although the Deng Clan possessed several dozen Violet Sanctum Cultivators [cultivators who have opened their Violet Palace, a spiritual center], they were utterly overwhelmed by the combined assault from two Golden Core Immortal Clans and scores of Violet Sanctum Cultivators from Yan Kingdom.

Many were slain by the great Immortal Clans. The survivors scattered in desperate flight, becoming pariahs hunted by all.

"The Deng Clan..."

"It seems I have arrived too late."

Eldrin Chen let out a sigh. In truth, this outcome was within his expectations.

Upon discovering that their Clan Elder and Patriarch had perished outside, and with no sufficiently powerful Patriarch left to guard the clan, the immediate transfer of assets was a fundamental lesson ingrained in the leadership of every major Immortal Clan.

Anyone with a modicum of sense understood that without a Golden Core Patriarch to stand guard, the treasures and resources left behind by the family would inevitably attract covetous eyes.

Rather than leaving them to empower future enemies, it was far wiser to flee with the treasures, preserving them as capital for a future resurgence.

The Deng Clan, having prospered for over a thousand years, had long relied on the prestige of being a Golden Core Immortal Clan to wreak havoc across the Yan Kingdom. Now, the time for retribution had truly arrived.

Countless cultivators within the Immortal Realm of the Yan Kingdom had suffered under the Deng Clan. Many Immortal Clan had even been forced to offer their most talented female cultivators to the Deng as cultivation cauldrons [a term for individuals used by demonic cultivators to drain their life force and cultivation base].

Too many enterprises had been seized by force, and too many lives had been unjustly ended by the hands of Deng cultivators.

Now, with the Deng Clan's fall from grace, the time for reckoning had come. Deng cultivators, from the highest Violet Sanctum masters to the lowest Vital Essence Refinement disciples, were being hunted down with a vengeance by the various Immortal Clan and rogue cultivators of the Yan Kingdom's Immortal Realm.

By now, the Deng Clan's cultivators had been nearly halved in number. Many Violet Sanctum and Foundation Establishment Cultivator experts had been slain, with only a scattered few managing to escape. For uninterrupted reading, go to audio‑novel.com.