Chapter 379 : Ambush at the Void Gem Mine

"The Human Race [the collective term for humanity in this cultivation world]?"

The Demon King [a powerful demonic cultivator equivalent to the Golden Core realm] roared, striking out in rapid, bewildered succession.

In truth, not only were Eldrin Chen, Exquisite Jiang, and Violet Consort Yan startled, but the Demon Race [demonic cultivators and creatures] were also terrified, their scalps tingling at the sudden appearance of three supreme Golden Core [the third major realm of cultivation, where one forms a solid golden core of power] cultivators.

How could a perfectly normal Teleportation Formation [a magical array designed for instantaneous travel across vast distances] suddenly produce three Human Race cultivators? Many Demon King feared they had fallen into a Human Race trap.

"Destroy the Teleportation Formation now!"

A Demon King bellowed, convinced the Human Race had devised a pincer attack from within and without, and that a flood of Human Race reinforcements would follow. In their panic, they desperately channeled their Divine Ability [a powerful supernatural technique], magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators], and cultivation arts.

"BOOM—"

Amidst the relentless clashes, Violet Consort Yan's expression shifted sharply. She summoned another magical treasure to block a Demon King's assault, then asked urgently, "How do we break this deadlock?"

"Our only course now is to shatter this Formation [a structured arrangement of energy for defense, attack, or other effects] and rendezvous with our fellow Daoists from the Ji Continent outside,"

Exquisite Jiang declared, her face grave as she produced the Six Heavens Black Prison Pagoda. "Hold them off for a moment. I will activate this treasure to dismantle the Formation." Original English translation available at (audio-novel.com).

"Very well."

Violet Consort Yan spoke, understanding that this was the only viable course of action now.

This Void Gem Mine Vein was of paramount importance. To protect it, the Demon Race had deployed seven interlocking Fourth-Rank Formation [powerful magical arrays], their combined might reaching the level of a Quasi-Fifth Rank [a formation of near-legendary power].

Aside from the Six Heavens Black Prison Pagoda [a legendary pagoda capable of imprisoning heavens], none among them possessed a method to breach such defenses in a short time.

The Six Heavens Black Prison Pagoda was a special Exotic Treasure [a unique and immensely powerful artifact]. While its Force Extreme [ultimate destructive power] was formidable enough to shatter any single Fourth-Rank Formation with one blow, it required a period of energy accumulation to unleash its full might.

Grasping the gravity of the situation, both began to activate their defensive magical treasure [enchanted artifacts] to withstand the onslaught from the numerous Demon King [powerful demonic rulers].

Yet these Demon King were no weaklings. Among them were formidable beings like the Black Eagle Demon King, a powerful Demon King at the Golden Core Late Stage [the pinnacle of the Golden Core cultivation stage]. The pressure they exerted was immense, and for a moment, both defenders felt the strain.

"We cannot afford to be dragged down like this."

In this critical moment, Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy.

He summoned forth the Purple-Gold Glazed Armor to bolster his defenses, then activated the Polarity Void Mirror. Instantly, a dazzling Polarity Primordial Magnetism Force [a fundamental force of attraction and repulsion] engulfed the void, successfully interfering with over a dozen magical treasure wielded by the Demon King.

These magical treasure [enchanted artifacts used by cultivators], disrupted by the Primordial Magnetism Power [a mystical force that manipulates fundamental magnetic energies], were momentarily sent flying and striking chaotically. Most of their unleashed power crashed against the Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with potent spiritual energy], shattering cliffs and filling the air with thunderous roars.

After this maneuver, they finally felt the pressure drop sharply and allowed themselves a slight sigh of relief.

While channeling the Polarity Void Mirror [a mirror that manipulates opposing forces to create voids], Eldrin Chen scanned his surroundings. He noticed that many Demon King [powerful demonic rulers], finding their magical treasure [enchanted artifacts] countered, were now charging forward directly, relying on their formidable physical bodies.

"Hmph—"

Witnessing the Demon King [powerful demonic rulers] run rampant, a cold glint flashed in Eldrin Chen's eyes. He turned to Violet Consort Yan and said, "Please, shield us."

"Understood."

As she spoke, Violet Consort Yan summoned her Divine Ability [a supreme mystical technique] and magical treasure [enchanted artifact] to envelop the trio in a protective barrier.

Seeing this, Eldrin Chen retracted his Purple-Gold Glazed Armor [a suit of armor forged from purple-gold and glazed ceramic] and the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords [a pair of swords embodying celestial and abyssal forces]. He then began to frantically draw spiritual power from the Positive Water Verdant Lotus Throne [a throne shaped like a lotus, radiating positive water energy].

After several breaths, he forcefully channeled his cultivated energy and unleashed the Light-Splitting Shadow-Condensing Sword Art [a sword technique that splits light and condenses shadows into lethal strikes].

"*Screech—*"

In that instant, billions of sword rays erupted like a torrential downpour, surging forth to blanket the heavens and earth with an unstoppable, frenzied tide that swept across all directions, forcing the Demon Kings back in explosive retreat.

Countless Demon Race below the Golden Core realm were slain in that moment, and even the Golden Core Demon Kings suffered grievous wounds, each one reeling back, spitting blood.

"Reinforce us swiftly! Do not get entangled!"

Witnessing Eldrin Chen's ferocious display, a Demon King roared the command. Yet, the Human Race Golden Core cultivators battling on the periphery, seeing this fleeting opportunity, naturally unleashed their full arsenal, pinning the Demon Kings down and making reinforcement impossible.

Seeing that a mere dozen or so Golden Core Demon Kings could not subdue the trio, a powerful Demon King bellowed in fury.

"Activate the Formation! The Formation!" For uninterrupted reading, go to audio~novel.com.

Once activated to attack the three within the Spirit Mountain, the Formation would pose a grave risk of severely damaging the Spiritual Vein [the vital energy artery of the land].

But at this critical juncture, there was no more room for hesitation. The Demon King presiding over the Formation snapped to action, preparing to channel its power against the trio.

Alas, it was already too late. After a moment's focused preparation, Exquisite Jiang finally unleashed the Six Heavens Black Prison Pagoda.

In a flash, a stream of radiant light descended, suppressing the very void. Countless formation patterns were torn asunder, and the entire Mountain Protection Formation guarding the Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] mine collapsed into ruin.

"Well done, Fellow Daoist Chen."

Witnessing the Spirit Mountain's Formation [a mystical defensive array] being breached, Patriarch Mo-ink charged at the forefront, unleashing his Ink-Snow Twin Swords [a pair of enchanted blades, one dark as ink, the other pale as snow] as he surged inside.

Cultivators of the highest caliber, those at the Golden Core Late Stage and even Golden Core Perfection [the pinnacle of the Golden Core realm], descended upon the scene one after another. Among them were Heaven Hero Wei, whose cultivation had reached the False Infant Soul Realm [a quasi-realm just below the true Infant Soul]; Kunxu Child [a Daoist title meaning 'Child of Kunxu'], the foremost rogue cultivator of Ji Continent; and Sun Void Lin, recognized as the premier figure among the Qi Nation Golden Core Cultivators.

The Demon Race [a race of sentient, often malevolent, beast-like beings] also fielded their powerhouses. There were eight or nine Demon King [a demonic cultivator equivalent to a human Golden Core expert] at the Golden Core Late Stage, such as the Black Eagle Demon King and the Azure Sparrow Demon King. Even more formidable was a cerulean flood dragon whose power rivaled the False Infant Soul Realm.

Yet, the fighting spirit of the Demon Race had begun to wane. The sudden, devastating assault by Eldrin Chen and his two companions had shaken their morale. They now feared that further reinforcements from the Human Race might pour through the Teleportation Formation [a magical array for instantaneous travel over vast distances].

"We retreat."

The Blue Flood Dragon Demon King cast a frigid, venomous glance towards the trio. Ultimately, it led the Demon Race in a withdrawal into the distance.

With the Human Race now in control of the Teleportation Formation, the extent and strength of their potential reinforcements remained an unknown variable. To continue a battle where one knew one's own strength but not the enemy's was the height of folly.

The Blue Flood Dragon Demon King stood but a half-step from the true Infant Soul Realm [the realm where a cultivator's nascent soul forms]. It was not a risk he was willing to take.

"After them!"

A group of Golden Core Cultivators gave chase, but rather than pursuing the most powerful Golden Core Demon King, they instead poured their full effort into intercepting several early and mid-stage Golden Core Demon Kings.

Atop the Spirit Mountain, Eldrin Chen felt his spiritual energy [the vital power cultivated by immortals and cultivators] was utterly depleted. The three of them each swallowed several restorative pills [pills refined from spiritual herbs, used to restore energy or aid cultivation] before finally drawing a deep, steadying breath.

Their successive assaults on the Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy within the earth] had already drained their reserves considerably. The final battle, facing over a dozen Golden Core Demon Kings, had pushed them to the brink. Had their combat prowess not rivaled that of Golden Core Perfection experts, three ordinary Golden Core Late Stage cultivators would surely have perished there.

If the Demon Race forces hadn't been caught off guard and intimidated by their sudden appearance, that clash would have been a far more grueling and bloody affair.

In truth, one could hardly blame the demon army for its shaken morale and retreat. The sudden emergence of three powerful Golden Core cultivators from their rear was shocking enough, but the fact that these three possessed such absurdly formidable strength was utterly demoralizing.

They had fearlessly withstood the onslaught of over a dozen Demon Kings, even unleashing a Great God Ability [a supreme divine technique or power] that grievously wounded countless Demon Race soldiers and shattered their meticulously laid Mountain Protection Formation [a defensive array designed to protect a mountain or territory].

Even a Human Race Golden Core Cultivator witnessing such a scene would likely have had their resolve broken, forced to fall back to preserve their strength and plan a counterattack only after gathering proper intelligence.

After recovering a sliver of their spiritual energy, the trio joined the pursuit for a time. They chased the fleeing demons for one full shichen-time [one Shichen-time equals two hours] before the group finally returned to the Void Gem Mine Vein.

Within the mine, several dozen Golden Core cultivators gathered, their faces alight with joy as they tallied the spoils of the battle.

Once the accounting was complete, Heaven Hero Wei spoke up, his voice brimming with satisfaction. "In this battle, we have slain five Golden Core Demon Kings and destroyed the physical bodies of four others."

"Well done."

Everyone was overjoyed. In this single battle, they had slain five Demon King [a powerful demonic cultivator equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm]. Adding the two Demon King slain by Eldrin Chen and his companions during their struggle for the Teleportation Formation [a magical array that allows instantaneous travel over vast distances], the total number of Demon King eliminated in this engagement reached seven.

Furthermore, with four more Demon King having their physical bodies destroyed, the losses suffered by Qi Nation had essentially been recouped through this very conflict.

Moreover, they had dismantled eleven of the Demon Race's Teleportation Formation, completely shattering the Demon Race's Teleportation Formation network. This Beast Tide [a massive, organized invasion by demonic beasts] could now be considered a battle turned from defeat into victory. Find this and other novels at audio-novel.com (official site).