Chapter 368 : Alliance of Desperate Demons

Logically speaking, he only needed to wait a little longer, and he would have been able to dismantle the methods of the two elder demons within the Demon Cave Cavern and gradually slay them.

Taicang the Elder Demon had originally intended to devour the Golden Core [the condensed essence of a cultivator's power] of the two demons, reach the Golden Core Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Golden Core Realm] in cultivation, and then go to Black Malignancy Ancient Ancestor to demand the promised Nascent Soul Formation Treasure [a rare treasure that aids in the formation of a Nascent Soul].

However, he ultimately dragged things out for too long and never imagined that Freya Ji would arrive so swiftly, completely disrupting his plans.

Faced with the formidable foe Freya Ji, Taicang the Elder Demon realized the optimal moment for his escape from the Demon Cave Cavern had already passed.

Left with no choice, the three demons abandoned their internal strife, allowing the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern and Yan Morgrim to restore their physical bodies, though the enmity between the three was now deeply entrenched.

Were it not for the desperate need to flee today, Taicang the Elder Demon would likely never have joined forces with the other two.

"Troublesome," he muttered.

Seeing Taicang the Elder Demon make his move, Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted slightly. He raised his hand and unleashed his Flying Sword [a sword controlled by spiritual will for aerial combat] in a slashing arc.

From the very first clash, Eldrin Chen sensed the difficulty of the task. This Taicang the Elder Demon possessed a vast and profound reservoir of mana, his cultivation having already reached the Golden Core Eighth Layer.

Seeing the situation turn perilous, Xavier Xu and Qingci the Recluse [a hermit cultivator] immediately joined the fray, summoning their own Flying Sword and Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] to besiege Taicang the Elder Demon from all sides. This chapter is provided by *audio-novel.com*. Support the original.

Yan Morgrim [a powerful demonic cultivator] refused to be outdone, and thus the five combatants descended into a chaotic melee.

High in the distant sky, Lyra Jiang [a powerful female cultivator] narrowed her eyes slightly. Watching the massive intermingling of the Human Race [the collective of human cultivators] and the Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of forbidden arts who harness demonic power], a sense of profound trouble settled in her heart.

"The main force of the Demonic Cultivator is concentrated here. Even if we win this battle, our losses will likely be devastating."

"Senior, I beseech you to lend me your aid."

"*Hummm—*"

In that instant, a shimmering, ethereal white radiance enveloped the heavens, shrouding the entire Demon Cave Cavern [a cavernous stronghold of demonic power].

The Mirror of the Vast Heaven [a legendary artifact capable of purifying demonic energy] soared into the sky. Its pristine, illusory light bathed the demonic cavern, and countless Demonic Cultivator shrieked as they were reduced to ashes of tribulation.

"Disaster!"

Witnessing the unleashed divine might of the Mirror of the Vast Heaven, Taicang the Elder Demon [an ancient and formidable demonic elder] felt his pupils contract sharply. At this critical juncture, he had no choice but to summon the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls [a set of seven demonic skull artifacts imbued with profound malice].

In the blink of an eye, seven Demonic Skull [skulls of powerful demons, forged into magical artifacts] wreathed in black miasma shot into the air and collided violently with the Mirror of the Vast Heaven. Heaven, earth, and mountains trembled violently, and the entire passageway seemed on the verge of collapse.

"Senior."

Watching the passageway tremble violently, Taicang the Elder Demon could not help but exclaim in alarm.

If this passage collapsed, they would be buried here. The clash of the Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a weapon of immense power used to suppress demonic beings] had certainly alerted the other two Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure. If they were blocked for even a moment, escape would likely become impossible.

With no other choice, both the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls [a sinister treasure composed of seven demonic skulls] and the Mirror of the Vast Heaven concentrated their might, transforming into vast, opposing radiances that pressed against each other.

At the same moment, far away in the other two passageways, the Firmament Immortal Sword and Freya Ji sensed the disturbance.

Freya Ji's eyes narrowed slightly. After a moment's contemplation, she said, "You go and lend her your aid. I shall go to suppress the Demonic Spring [a fount of concentrated demonic energy]."

"Understood."

In an instant, a silver bracelet of majestic divine power soared into the air, streaking directly toward the direction of Eldrin Chen's fierce battle.

From the other side, the Firmament Immortal Sword shot forth even faster, transforming into a dazzling streak of sword radiance as it flew over.

The three elder demons understood clearly: if this battle remained a stalemate, defeat and death would be their only fate. They had to muster every ounce of their strength, every desperate technique, to fight their way out.

Seeing the opponent was about to fight desperately, which would lead to extremely heavy casualties if the battle continued, Eldrin Chen's gaze flickered slightly as he said, "Let's kill Taicang the Elder Demon first."

"Agreed."

Lyra Jiang nodded. Surprisingly, she bypassed the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern and charged directly toward Taicang the Elder Demon.

Sensing the danger, Taicang the Elder Demon felt a chill run down his spine and cried out, "Lord of the Cavern, come aid me quickly!"

"Do not fret, Brother Taicang. I shall go and summon reinforcements,"

the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern cackled with a strange laugh, then turned and fled alone. Visit audio~novel.com to enjoy the complete series.

Taicang the Elder Demon nearly spat out a mouthful of blood in fury. Considering all potential forces within a radius of five million Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], only those from Demonic Ape Ridge and the Black Malignancy faction could intervene in this battle. By the time any help arrived, his corpse would be cold.

Helpless and flushed with rage, he shouted, "Do not fall for their trick, Lord of the Cavern! The cavern entrance is surely heavily ambushed. With your strength alone, escape is impossible!"

"That is no longer your concern, Brother Taicang."

What trust could exist among Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use malevolent and often sacrificial methods to gain power]? In the blink of an eye, the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern vanished into the depths of the Demon Cave Cavern.

That Yan Morgrim also sought to flee for his life, but Xavier Xu and Qingci the Recluse struck in succession. With the aid of Lila, Yu Qingyan, and several other False Core Cultivator [cultivators who have formed a flawed, unstable Golden Core], they cornered him, leaving him with no path of escape.

On the other flank, with one desperate Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern removed from the fray, Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang focused their assault on Taicang the Elder Demon. In mere moments, they had him reeling and scrambling for cover.

"Clang—"

After only a few brief moments, a streak of silver light cleaved through the heavens with a sharp whistle, striking the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls and forcing them into a steady retreat.

"It's the Demon-Refining Bracer of the Nine Firmaments [a divine artifact forged from Nine Firmaments Secret Silver, renowned for its indestructibility and ability to nullify most magical attacks]!"

Lyra Jiang's face lit up with joy. The Demon-Refining Bracer of the Nine Firmaments was a treasure of extraordinary origin, forged by Ji Clan True Lord from 'Nine Firmaments Secret Silver' [a legendary, nearly indestructible celestial metal]. This artifact was impervious to destruction and could repel all manner of spells, rendering it immune to virtually any magical assault below the Nascent Soul [the realm of forming one's spiritual infant, a major milestone in cultivation] level.

Even Great Divine Ability [powerful innate or mastered supernatural techniques] of the Nascent Soul grade saw their explosive power significantly diminished when faced with this Demon-Refining Bracer of the Nine Firmaments.

Now, the Demon-Refining Bracer of the Nine Firmaments unleashed its divine might. Dazzling arrays of formation runes ignited across its silver surface, weaving a net of suppression that locked down the hundred different Divine Ability [supernatural powers and techniques] inscribed upon the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls. Working in concert with the mirror-light from the Mirror of the Vast Heaven, it managed to pin the demonic treasure in place.

"Screech—"

And in that very instant, a sword's keen cry pierced heaven and earth.

The group looked up and saw a brilliant sword aura cleaving through the depths of the Demon Cave Cavern. With a resounding *clang*, it pierced through one of the Demonic Skull [a powerful artifact forged from a cultivator's skull], leaving a web of cracks spreading across its surface.

The Firmament Immortal Sword [a legendary spiritual treasure sword] truly lived up to its reputation as a peerless weapon of slaughter. With a single strike, it had secured an immortal Merit Points [points representing virtuous deeds and contributions] and severely wounded the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls [a set of seven demonic skull artifacts].

These Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls were forged from the skulls of seven Golden Core Great Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Golden Core realm] cultivators. While their destructive power rivaled any righteous path's Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a supreme-grade treasure for vanquishing demons], the quality of their base materials was ultimately inferior.

If not for the formation runes constantly weaving themselves together to mend the fractured Demonic Skull, this set of Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls might well have been renamed the Six Malignancy Demonic Skull.

Regardless, faced with the siege of three Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure, the Seven Malignancy Demon Skulls were ultimately and completely suppressed.

It could only frantically draw upon the Demonic Fiend Qi [the corrupt, malevolent energy of demons] surging from the demon cave's depths, barely managing a desperate, flailing defense. It hoped to hold out until the several Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure could no longer sustain themselves and were forced to retreat from the cavern.

Yet this was nothing but a fool's dream. After merely half the time for an incense stick to burn [a conventional short duration, roughly fifteen to thirty minutes], the boundless, surging power of Demonic Fiend Qi from the depths of the Demon Cave Cavern suddenly began to rapidly recede.

"The Demonic Spring [a source of concentrated demonic energy] has been suppressed! Fellow Daoists, now is the time to slay the fiends!"

The combatants felt the oppressive Demonic Qi [demonic energy used in cultivation arts] vanish entirely, their combat prowess restored to its peak condition.

Meanwhile, the Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of demonic cultivation arts] present, now bereft of the Demonic Qi augmentation, saw their strength plummet by no less than thirty percent. Their internal mana could no longer draw upon the Demonic Qi for swift recovery.

Seeing the situation turn dire, Taicang the Elder Demon sought to flee for his life. Yet, at that very moment, Taiwu the True Person and Spirit Consort, the Immortal Maiden along with others charged forward to intercept him.

With a sweeping motion of his hand, Taiwu the True Person summoned a colossal treasure seal. It struck Taicang the Elder Demon with such sudden force that he was sent reeling, blood spraying from his mouth as he was hurled through the air.

After the blow landed, a complex mix of hatred and inexpressible sorrow flickered in Taiwu the True Person's eyes. "Senior Brother Taicang," he uttered, his voice thick with emotion, "how could you be so cruel? Taiqing the Junior Sister was your Dao companion, the one who shared your life for centuries."

"How could you bring yourself to do it?" This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio-novel[dot]com.