Chapter 401 : Thunder Pearl's Decisive Strike

"It is done."

After this strike, Eldrin Chen revealed a look of joy. Having breached this Formation, they were like a dragon freed from its chains, their movements now entirely at their own discretion.

Seeing them break out, Hugo Huo's expression shifted repeatedly, and he finally conceived the intention to retreat.

"We cannot let him escape."

In a Ksana-time [an infinitesimal unit of time], Lyra Jiang made her decision.

This Hugo Huo was not far from the Nascent Soul realm. If such a formidable enemy were to escape, the threat he posed could very well exceed that of ten Golden Core Cultivators.

If they did not slay him today, and Hugo Huo were to later break through to Nascent Soul, it would be the Chen Immortal Clan that suffered the consequences.

With this thought, Lyra Jiang could no longer afford to be sparing with her treasures. She raised her hand and unleashed the Demonic Flame Yin Thunder Pearl.

"No—!"

Watching the Demonic Flame Yin Thunder Pearl hurtle towards him, Hugo Huo wore a look of utter despair. This novel is serialized on audio-novel*com. Visit for updates.

This treasure's power was comparable to a full-force strike from a Nascent Soul [the spiritual core formed after the Golden Core stage] cultivator. Even if he had employed all his means, he might not have been able to withstand it, let alone now when his Formation [a structured arrangement of energy or objects to produce a specific magical effect] had been shattered and his mana was more than half depleted.

Without any suspense, despite Hugo Huo's desperate resistance, he was utterly annihilated, reduced to ashes under the might of this Fifth-Rank Thunder Pearl [a treasure of immense power capable of unleashing devastating heavenly thunder].

"Clan Patriarch."

Witnessing Hugo's death in battle, the Golden Core [the solidified spiritual core formed within a cultivator's dantian] cultivators of the Huo Clan were seized by terror.

They had never imagined that this battle, prepared for over many years, would not only fail to bring them a great victory but would instead result in such devastating and grievous losses.

In their panic, they hurriedly led their clansmen back into their Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with concentrated spiritual energy] and, with the aid of their kin, activated the Mountain Guardian Grand Formation [a powerful defensive array protecting a mountain stronghold].

Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang did not give chase. Their opponents were fighting right at their doorstep and needed only a brief moment to retreat into the safety of their Spirit Mountain.

Within such a short span, unless they possessed another Fifth-Rank Thunder Pearl or could instantly envelop the area with a Formation, it would be exceedingly difficult for them to slay all five of these Golden Core cultivators.

Moreover, in this battle, the two of them had fought against an entire clan single-handedly. Their consumption had been immense, and continuing the fight risked severely damaging their vital essence.

After achieving this complete victory, the two did not depart.

Lyra Jiang [the Immortal Maiden Lyra] gently traced the sword scars upon his body, applying Spirit Medicine [a medicinal herb infused with spiritual energy] externally as she spoke with a heartache-laced voice, "Your wounds..."

"I have tempered my body with the Five Thunders Body Tempering Grand Art [a profound body-forging technique that harnesses the power of five different thunders]," Eldrin Chen [the cultivator Eldrin] replied, shaking his head. "These are merely superficial injuries."

He shook his head, swallowed a Healing Pill [a pill specifically crafted to accelerate bodily recovery], and then channeled his True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by practitioners] to mend his wounds.

With the combined treatment of external application, internal consumption, and True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by practitioners] infusion, it was not long before the lingering Sword Qi [the sharp, focused energy projected from a sword technique] within the scar was purged.

Once the bone-eroding Sword Intent [the conceptual will and sharpness imbued within a sword strike] ceased to interfere with the healing process, a mere flesh wound like this could be fully restored for a high-level cultivator after just a couple of cycles of nourishment from their True Essence [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by practitioners].

After his wounds had fully healed, Lyra Jiang [the Immortal Maiden Lyra] proceeded to scour the battlefield. She retrieved Hugo Huo [the cultivator Hugo]'s Mountain and River Fan [a magical fan capable of conjuring illusions of mountains and rivers], his Four Symbols Flag Formation [a set of formation flags representing the four celestial beasts], and the Blue-Gold Glazed Armor.

With a hint of regret, she said, "It is a pity that Hugo Huo [the cultivator Hugo]'s Storage Bag [a spatial pouch for holding items], along with his physical body, were utterly destroyed by the Demonic Flame Yin Thunder Pearl [a sinister pearl that unleashes a fusion of demonic flame and yin thunder]."

"Being able to slay him is already a significant achievement. The destruction of the Storage Bag [a spatial pouch for holding items] was within our expectations," Eldrin Chen [the cultivator Eldrin]] stated.

Eldrin Chen [the cultivator Eldrin] sighed as he spoke. Their ability to kill Hugo Huo [the cultivator Hugo] had relied heavily on the aid of the Fifth-Rank Thunder Pearl [a treasure of immense power that unleashes devastating heavenly thunder], leaving them with no spare capacity to salvage the Storage Bag [a spatial pouch for holding items].

In truth, Hugo Huo [the cultivator Hugo] himself could never have anticipated his demise. The site of this battle was less than a thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] from the Huo Clan's Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich with spiritual energy, often used as a cultivation base].

He had originally believed that even if this battle were lost, as long as he retreated into the Spirit Mountain and activated the Mountain Guardian Grand Formation, Eldrin Chen would be powerless against him.

At worst, he could simply hide away for a Jiazi-time [a sixty-year cycle], wait for his mana to recover, and then make another attempt to break through to the Nascent Soul [the realm where a cultivator's spirit forms an independent entity] realm. At that point, he could turn the tables.

Furthermore, there was no spiritual energy outside the Spirit Mountain for Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang to cultivate with. It was impossible for them to waste vast amounts of time, forsaking their own cultivation, just to stand guard on the Spirit Mountain and gamble on his emergence.

It was precisely this confidence in his own strength, coupled with the temptation of the Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure, that led him to risk confronting the two of them.

What he had never anticipated was that Eldrin Chen's physical body would rival that of a Nascent Soul cultivator. His meticulously prepared trump cards failed to inflict serious damage on Eldrin Chen.

Instead, it was the Fifth-Rank Thunder Pearl in Lyra Jiang's hand that utterly surpassed his expectations. He could never have imagined meeting his end beneath the power of a Fifth-Rank Thunder Pearl. Discover more cultivation stories at audi novel.com.

"It's hard to say whether this battle was a victory or a loss,"

Lyra Jiang sighed, her gaze resting on the Azure-Gold Glazed Armor.

Among the three treasures left behind by Hugo Huo, the Mountain and River Fan had been severely damaged and would require two full Jiazi-time of careful nurturing to recover.

The Four Symbols Flag Formation had also sustained some damage. However, this treasure possessed immense power, enough to serve as a formidable trump card. Its value was likely around ten million Spirit Stone [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

The only treasure that truly stirred their hearts was the Azure-Gold Glazed Armor, a Supreme Grade Magical Treasure [a magical artifact of the highest quality] valued at over five million Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy, used as currency and for cultivation].

However, if fused with the Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor and the Purple-Gold Glazed Armor they already possessed, it could be refined into the legendary Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a supreme artifact of unparalleled power, capable of subduing demons] known as the Glazed Armor of the Three Treasures.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen spoke, "A Fifth-Rank Thunder Pearl [a pearl containing immense thunder power, of the fifth rank] starts at a value of thirty Heavenly Crystal [a purified, high-density form of Spirit Stone], but a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure is worth a hundred Heavenly Crystal."

"In this battle, we have obtained the Azure-Gold Glazed Armor, which can be fused into a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure. That alone is an immense harvest."

"A sound point."

Lyra Jiang nodded in agreement, then pondered further. "To fuse the Glazed Armor of the Three Treasures, besides the three armored treasures, we will need a Dao Pattern Gem [a gemstone inscribed with natural patterns of the Dao, the fundamental principle of existence], and it must be nourished by the spiritual energy of a Fifth Rank Spirit Vein [a geographical location where spiritual energy of the fifth rank naturally gathers and flows]."

"A Dao Pattern Gem... and spiritual energy..."

Eldrin Chen fell into thought for a long moment before speaking. "We do not possess a Fifth Rank Spirit Vein, but we do have eight Fourth Rank Spirit Vein [locations where spiritual energy of the fourth rank gathers]. If we allow the Glazed Armor of the Three Treasures to draw spiritual energy from each in turn, it should be sufficient."

"It is the Dao Pattern Gem that is truly scarce."

The Dao Pattern Gem is among the most precious Heaven and Earth Treasures [rare natural treasures formed by the convergence of heaven and earth's essence] within the Fourth Rank [the fourth major stage of cultivation]. Its value reaches ten million Spirit Stone, placing it on par with the Creation Treasure Jade [a jade imbued with the power of creation].

Such a treasure is exceedingly rare, and one would likely need to pay a high price to acquire it.

"Not necessarily," Lyra Jiang suddenly exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "Since the Huo Clan has been scheming for the Glazed Armor of the Three Treasures for many years, it's highly probable they possess a Dao Pattern Gem in their hands."

"The Huo Clan?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes also gleamed. He stood up, gazing towards the Huo Clan's Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with concentrated spiritual energy]. After a long moment, he shook his head. "This Spirit Mountain has been fortified by them for millennia, guarded by a Fourth Rank High Grade Spirit Vein [a natural conduit of spiritual energy] and powerful Formation [magical defensive arrays]."

"Even if we mobilized the entire Heaven's Ruin Alliance and undertook a massive campaign across several provinces, it would likely take over a decade to breach their defenses."

"A direct assault is out of the question."

Lyra Jiang agreed. "The Chu Kingdom is separated from the Dawn Continent by several vast provinces, interspersed with rare and treacherous forbidden lands."

Such terrain makes it impossible to deploy a large army. There would be no supply lines or Spirit Vein support along the way, and we would be highly vulnerable to attacks from high-level Demonic Tribe forces. A single misstep could lead to the complete annihilation of our forces.

Furthermore, with the Chu Kingdom's current fleet—only two Fourth Rank treasure ships, plus the two under construction—the number of cultivators we could transport in one go might still be insufficient to conquer the Huo Clan's Spirit Mountain.

Contemplating this, Eldrin Chen furrowed his brow. After a long silence, he sighed. "Then we negotiate. Since the chief instigator has been dealt with, and we cannot afford a protracted conflict, we shall demand war reparations from them."

"That is also a sound plan," Lyra Jiang [the Immortal Maiden Lyra] nodded in agreement as well.

Having decided on peace talks, Eldrin Chen [the Abyssal Emperor Eldrin] did not delay. That very day, he used a Spirit Talisman [a talisman imbued with spiritual energy for communication] to send the message to the Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich in spiritual energy] of the Huo Clan. For the best reading experience, visit audio—novel.com.