Chapter 387 : Ambush of the Celestial Swords

Eldrin Chen had anticipated this. He immediately summoned the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords and slashed forward.

He cultivated the Primordial Solar technique [a righteous cultivation art aligned with the pure power of the sun]. As a genuine orthodox cultivator, it was fundamentally impossible for him to perfectly mimic the aura of a Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who uses dark, corrupt, or sacrificial methods to gain power].

Although a concealing Formation [a mystical array or barrier] masked his presence, a high-level Demonic Cultivator could still detect a trace of something amiss.

Therefore, Eldrin Chen was prepared to strike the moment he was discovered. He unleashed the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords, their blades weaving a relentless assault aimed directly at Black Fire True Person.

"Hmph—"

Seeing Eldrin Chen attack, Black Fire True Person sensed the danger and tried to flee.

But at that very moment, Exquisite Jiang, who had been lying in ambush at a distance, closed in. From afar, she unleashed the Mount Tai Crushing Deity Curse [a divine ability that manifests the crushing weight of a sacred mountain].

"Not good!"

Black Fire True Person felt as if an entire mountain had settled upon his shoulders, making every movement a monumental struggle.

However, this demon was, after all, a Demonic Cultivator at the Golden Core Perfection stage [the pinnacle of the Golden Core realm]. In his panic, he managed to execute a Demonic Path [a cultivation art belonging to the demonic or unorthodox path] Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural technique]. This ability was called the Demonic Blood Calamity-Transformation Art [a sinister art that uses one's own demonic blood to transform and deflect a calamitous attack]. Join our community of readers at audio-novel . com.

The Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who cultivates through malevolent and often bloody methods] often possess particularly cruel Divine Abilities [supernatural powers derived from cultivation]. Once unleashed, this Demonic Blood Calamity-Transformation Art [a sinister art that consumes the user's vital essence to transform calamity] consumed the vital essence within his body, yet it was sufficient to dissolve the negative afflictions plaguing him.

Having dissolved the calamity, he instantly transformed into a streak of escaping light, flying into the distance with an unmistakable air of desperate flight.

"You cannot escape."

Seeing the Demonic Cultivator still attempting to flee, Exquisite Jiang forcefully channeled her spiritual power. From a distance of several hundred Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], she unleashed the Void Five Tribulations Divine Light [a divine light technique embodying the power of five heavenly tribulations].

Though this Void Five Tribulations Divine Light demanded immense expenditure, when powered by Exquisite Jiang's current level of cultivation, its might approached the full-force strike of an Infant Soul Cultivator [a cultivator whose nascent soul has formed within their golden core].

Even with the demon's formidable power, facing this majestic blow that traversed hundreds of Li-lengths left him with no avenue for evasion.

In a Ksana-time [an infinitesimal unit of time from Buddhist cosmology, less than a second], mountains shuddered and crumbled, heaven seemed to rend and earth to split. The endless peaks of the demonic volcano were pierced through.

Though the Black Fire True Person possessed great strength, the moment he was lured out, his fate was sealed—a heavy price was destined to be paid.

Confronting this strike, he exhausted every technique at his disposal, yet in the end, his bones shattered and his physical body was nearly cleaved in two.

However, for a Golden Core [the third major realm of cultivation, where spiritual energy condenses into a golden core] Demonic Cultivator, such an injury was not yet fatal. Abandoning his ruined flesh entirely, he performed a bloody sacrifice of his own corporeal form to unleash the 'Blood Demon Escape Art' [a forbidden escape technique that consumes one's own flesh and blood for immense speed].

This Blood Demon Escape Art [a supreme-level escape technique] is a pinnacle Divine Ability [a profound supernatural art]. Once unleashed, its speed can traverse a thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] in the blink of an eye. By discarding his physical body to execute this Divine Ability, it is likely that not even an Infant Soul True Lord [a cultivator who has formed their nascent soul] could catch up to him in a short time.

Although Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang possessed immense speed, they still could not keep pace with such an astonishing escape art.

Watching him slip away to safety, Eldrin Chen sighed and said, "It is a pity I cannot completely conceal my own aura."

"Otherwise, once lured into the formation, that demon would have had no chance of survival today."

"A cultivator at the Golden Core Perfection [the pinnacle stage of the Golden Core realm] is not so easily slain."

Exquisite Jiang shook her head, having anticipated this outcome from the battle.

Although the three of them had managed to kill Malachai Qin in the past, it was only because Violet Consort Yan's Violet Cosmos Void Escape Mirror [a mystical mirror that seals the void] could lock down the surrounding space.

Otherwise, with Malachai Qin's strength at Golden Core Perfection, even four or five other Golden Core Perfection cultivators might not have been able to prevent his escape.

Eldrin Chen collected Black Fire True Person's Storage Bag [a spatial pouch for storing items] and said with a faint smile, "To save his own life, that fiend decisively abandoned even his Storage Bag. He is a man of ruthless resolve."

"Before Black Fiend Patriarch realizes what has transpired, let us first go and destroy the Netherworld Void Crossing Formation [a formation for traversing the void to the netherworld]."

The two returned to the mountain peak, retrieved the Fifth RankDemonic Fire Lunar Thunder Pearl [a powerful orb that channels demonic fire and lunar thunder], and casually dismantled the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy nodes and conduits] before tossing its components into the demonic flames to be consumed. Then, they soared on their swords towards the location of the Netherworld Void Crossing Formation [a grand teleportation array capable of bridging the mortal realm and the netherworld].

"..."

Meanwhile, the Black Fire True Person was fleeing for his life through the void.

His Golden Core [the solidified essence of a cultivator's power, the third major realm] flew through the emptiness, a flicker of terror crossing its spiritual manifestation. "Having lost the Demonic Flame Lunar Thunder Pearl, the Netherworld Void Crossing Formation likely cannot be held either."

"With that old ghost Black Fiend's methods, he will certainly not let me go. I fear I can never return to Black Fiend Ridge."

"That old ghost Black Fiend placed the Black Fiend Entangling Threads Curse [a sinister curse that binds the victim with threads of shadowy energy] upon me. To survive, I must rely on a Demonic Spring [a wellspring of potent demonic energy] to suppress it." Dive deeper into the Dao at audio novel.com.

"Furthermore, to reconstruct a physical body, I will need the power of a Demonic Spring as well. My only path now is to first find a Demonic Spring to pledge myself to. If I can restore my flesh and perhaps even break through to the Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual form stage, the fourth major realm], then maybe, just maybe, I will have a sliver of a chance to live."

With this thought, the Black Fire True Person suppressed any notion of sending a warning and instead flew off in a completely different direction.

"..."

On the other side, Eldrin Chen and his companion moved with incredible speed, arriving at the Netherworld Void Crossing Formation after a mere ten days.

Gazing at the Netherworld Void Crossing Formation before them, Eldrin Chen exchanged a glance with Exquisite Jiang and said with a smile, "This formation's defensive power is not strong. With our methods, we are more than capable of breaking it."

"Let's begin."

True to their word, the two acted immediately. Relying on their formidable strength, they relentlessly assaulted the Netherworld Void Crossing Formation, finally succeeding in dismantling it after half a month of effort.

After breaching the Formation, they ascended to the mountain peak and proceeded to destroy the Formation Artifact one by one.

Once this task was complete, they discovered a piece of black Netherworld Gemstone at the summit.

"A Netherworld Stone?"

Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted slightly. The Netherworld Stone was originally a Fifth Rank Void Gem [a high-grade gemstone attuned to void energies], but through continuous corruption by Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who harness malevolent and destructive energies] using the power of the Netherworld [the underworld or realm of the dead], it had ultimately transformed into this world-shaking demonic object.

This object was extraordinarily sinister, containing the power of the Netherworld Depths [the profound and corrupting essence of the underworld]. It did not require the energy of a Fifth Rank Spiritual Vein [a high-grade ley line of spiritual energy]; with sufficient Blood Crystal [crystals condensed from life essence and blood], it was enough to establish a Fifth Rank Teleportation Formation.

"Could it be that behind this Black Fiend Patriarch, there is support from the Netherworld Old Demon?"

Looking at the Netherworld Gemstone, Exquisite Jiang's pupils also contracted sharply. The Netherworld Old Demon was the master of the Netherworld Sea and also the foremost Demonic Cultivator within the Eastern Region Great Wasteland.

This Demonic Cultivator had reached the Primordial Spirit Mid Stage [the fourth major stage of cultivation, where one's spiritual core takes form], and his power was renowned throughout the Purple Seal Realm.

The Netherworld Sea he dominated was one of the several great Forbidden Land [dangerous, spiritually anomalous regions] within the Eastern Region Great Wasteland, spoken of in the same breath as the Vast and Misty Marsh ruled by the Black Dragon Demon Ancestor and the half of the Eastern Barrens Ancestral River occupied by Crocodile Ancestor.

At the thought of Netherworld Old Demon, Exquisite Jiang sighed and said, "I fear even the Primordial Spirit [powerful cultivators at the Primordial Spirit stage] of the demon and fiend races would be loath to see the Human Race gain another Primordial Spirit."

"My cousin's Primordial Spirit Great Tribulation [the heavenly trial one must pass to advance to the Primordial Spirit realm] may not be so easily overcome."

Eldrin Chen gently patted Exquisite Jiang's hand, offering comfort. "In the last several thousand years, the Human Race has lost multiple Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a title for a master of the Dao at the Primordial Spirit stage] in battle. There is a desperate need for new Primordial Spirit to rise and fill the ranks."

"If the demonic Primordial Spirit were to intervene, the few Path Lord of the Eastern Region Great Wasteland surely would not stand idly by."

Exquisite Jiang nodded in agreement. For them, beings like Primordial Spirit Path Lord were still too distant. Their only path now was to grow stronger, to strive for a breakthrough to the Infant Soul Realm [the Golden Core stage, the third major realm] as swiftly as possible—that was the true way forward.

With this thought, Exquisite Jiang looked at the Netherworld Gemstone in Eldrin Chen's hand. "This treasure's properties are extraordinary, but the Netherworld [the realm of ghosts and negative spiritual energy] power it contains cannot be used by righteous path cultivators. It must be refined anew into Void Gem [a rare spatial-aligned crystal] before it can be used to enhance the power of a Primordial Solar Supreme Treasure [a top-tier treasure aligned with pure yang/solar energy]."

"To transform it back into a Fifth Rank Void Gem, the Netherworld energy within must first be purified."

Eldrin Chen merely shook his head, a slight frown creasing his brow. "Although my Solar True Flame [a pure yang flame technique] can refine Netherworld energy..."

"But with my spiritual power [the mystical energy cultivated by practitioners] as it is now, purging the Netherworld energy [the corrupting power of the underworld] from it would take me at least six hundred years." For more chapters, visit audio-novel.com for the complete novel.