Chapter 401 : Demonic Flame and a Foe's Despair

"It is done."

After this strike, Eldrin Chen revealed a look of joy. Having breached this Formation [a structured arrangement of energy for defense or confinement], they were like a dragon freed from its chains, able to advance or retreat with complete freedom.

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 single Ksana-time [an infinitesimal unit of time], Exquisite Jiang made her decision.

This Hugo Huo had not long ago attained the Infant Soul [the stage where a cultivator's nascent spiritual consciousness takes form]. If such a powerful enemy were allowed to flee, the threat he posed could easily surpass that of ten Golden Core Cultivator [cultivators who have condensed their spiritual energy into a solid golden core].

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

With this thought, Exquisite Jiang could no longer spare any concern for her treasures. She raised her hand and summoned forth the Demonic Flame Lunar Thunder Pearl [a powerful orb that unleashes demonic fire and lunar thunder].

"No—!"

As the Demonic Flame Lunar Thunder Pearl hurtled towards him, Hugo Huo's face was etched with utter despair. Support the author by reading on www . audio-novel.com.

This treasure's power was comparable to a full-force strike from an Infant Soul Cultivator [a cultivator whose nascent soul has formed]. Even if he had used every technique at his disposal, he might not have been able to withstand it, let alone now when his Formation [a structured arrangement of energy for defense or attack] had been shattered and his spiritual power was more than half depleted.

There was no suspense. Despite Hugo Huo's desperate resistance, he was utterly annihilated, reduced to ashes under the might of that Fifth Rank Thunder Pearl [a one-time-use artifact containing the condensed power of a fifth-rank thunder tribulation].

"Patriarch!"

Witnessing Hugo Huo's death in battle, the Golden Core [cultivators who have condensed a golden core of spiritual energy] of the Huo Clan were gripped 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 losses.

In their panic, they hurriedly led their clansmen back into the Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich in spiritual energy, often serving as a clan's base] and, with the aid of their kin, activated the Mountain Protection Formation [a defensive energy barrier encompassing the mountain].

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

Unless they possessed another Fifth Rank Thunder Pearl or could instantly envelop the area with a restraining Formation, that sliver of time was insufficient to slay all five Golden Core cultivators.

Furthermore, in this battle, the two of them had fought against an entire clan, depleting their resources tremendously. Continuing the fight risked severe damage to their vital essence.

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

Exquisite Jiang gently traced the sword scars on his body, applying a Spirit Herb poultice as she spoke with heartfelt concern. "Your wounds..."

"My Five Thunders Body Tempering Great Art [a profound art for tempering the physical body with thunder] fortifies my physique. These are merely superficial injuries."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, swallowed a healing elixir [a pill with potent restorative properties], and began channeling his spiritual energy to mend his wounds.

With the external poultice, internal elixir, and the flow of his spiritual energy, the lingering sword energy [the residual, invasive force left by a sword strike] within the wound was soon expelled.

Once the bone-corrosive sword intent [a malicious conceptual force that impedes healing] no longer interfered, a mere flesh wound like this could be fully healed by a high-level cultivator with just a couple of cycles of nourishing spiritual energy.

After his wounds had closed, Exquisite Jiang surveyed the battlefield. She retrieved Hugo Huo's Mountain and River Fan [a magical fan capable of manipulating landscapes], his Four Symbols Formation Flags [a set of flags used to deploy a powerful defensive formation], and his Azure-Gold Glazed Armor [a suit of enchanted armor with a glazed, azure-gold finish].

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

"Being able to slay him is victory enough. The loss of the Storage Bag was to be expected."

Eldrin Chen sighed. Their success in killing Hugo Huo had relied on the aid of the Fifth Rank Thunder Pearl [a powerful thunder-attribute treasure]; they had no spare capacity to salvage the Storage Bag.

In truth, Hugo Huo himself could never have anticipated his demise. The battle had commenced less than a thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] from the Huo Clan's Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich in spiritual energy, serving as a clan's base].

He had originally believed that even if this battle ended in defeat, as long as he retreated into the Spirit Mountain and activated the Mountain Protection Formation, Eldrin Chen would have no way to truly harm him.

At worst, he could simply hide away for one Sixty-Year Cycle. Once his spiritual power [the energy cultivated by practitioners] recovered, he could attempt a breakthrough into the Infant Soul Realm [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul forms]. If he succeeded by chance, he could turn the tables completely.

Furthermore, there was no ambient spiritual energy [the vital energy of heaven and earth] outside the Spirit Mountain for Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang to cultivate. It was unlikely they would waste vast amounts of time, neglecting their own cultivation, just to camp outside the Spirit Mountain and blockade him.

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 both Eldrin Chen and his companion.

What he never anticipated was that Eldrin Chen's physical body would be comparable to that of an Infant Soul cultivator. His meticulously prepared trump cards failed to inflict serious damage on Eldrin Chen.

Instead, it was the Fifth Rank Thunder Pearl [a powerful enchanted artifact of the fifth rank] in Exquisite 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. This chapter is provided by http://www . audio-novel.com. Support the original.

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

Exquisite Jiang sighed, gazing at the Azure-Gold Glazed Armor as she spoke.

Among the three treasures left behind by Hugo Huo, the Mountain and River Fan had been severely damaged. It would require nurturing for two full Sixty-Year Cycle before it could recover.

The Four Symbols Formation Flags [a set of enchanted flags representing the four celestial beasts] had also sustained some damage. However, this treasure's power was immense, sufficient to serve as a formidable trump card. Its value was likely around ten million Spirit Stones [minerals that store spiritual energy, used as currency].

The only treasure that truly stirred their hearts was the Azure-Gold Glazed Armor. This supreme-grade magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] was valued at over five million Spirit Stones [minerals that store and radiate spiritual energy].

However, if fused with the Crimson-Gold Glazed Armor and the Purple-Gold Glazed Armor they already possessed, it could be forged into the legendary Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure, the Three Treasures Glazed Armor.

Considering this, Eldrin Chen said, "A Fifth Rank Thunder Pearl is worth at least thirty Heavenly Crystals [purified, high-density forms of Spirit Stones], but a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure is valued at a hundred Heavenly Crystals."

"In this battle, we obtained the Azure-Gold Glazed Armor, which allows us to fuse a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure. That alone is an immense harvest."

"That is a sound point."

Exquisite Jiang nodded in agreement, then pondered for a moment before adding, "To fuse the Three Treasures Glazed Armor, besides the three armored treasures, we also need a Path Pattern Gemstone [a rare gemstone containing the patterns of the Great Dao]. Furthermore, it requires the spiritual energy provided by a Fifth Rank Spiritual Vein [a powerful, concentrated source of ambient spiritual energy]."

"A Path Pattern Gemstone... and the spiritual energy..."

Eldrin Chen fell into thought. After a long silence, he said, "We do not possess a Fifth Rank Spiritual Vein, but we have eight Fourth-Rank Spiritual Veins. If we let the Three Treasures Glazed Armor draw energy from each of them in turn, it should be sufficient."

"It's just that the Path Pattern Gemstone is rather scarce."

The Path Pattern Gemstone was among the most precious Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures [rare and potent natural resources used in cultivation and crafting] of the fourth rank, valued at ten million Spirit Stones, placing it on par with the Creation Jade.

Such a treasure is exceedingly rare and would likely command a high price to acquire.

"Not necessarily," Exquisite Jiang suddenly exclaimed, her eyes lighting up. "If the Huo Clan has been plotting for the Three Treasures Glazed Armor for years, they must possess a Path Pattern Gemstone [a rare gemstone that can reveal the patterns of destiny and fate]. It's highly probable they have one in their possession."

"The Huo Clan?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes also gleamed with realization. He stood up, gazing towards the Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with potent spiritual energy] of the Huo Clan. After a long moment, he shook his head. "That Spirit Mountain has been fortified by them for millennia. It's protected by a Fourth Rank Superior Grade Spiritual Vein [a subterranean channel of concentrated spiritual energy] and powerful defensive Formation [a complex array of magical symbols and energy channels used for defense, attack, or other purposes]."

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

"A direct assault is out of the question,"

agreed Exquisite Jiang, noting that Chu Nation was separated from Celestial Dawn Province by several vast provinces, which included treacherous and rare forbidden lands.

Under such conditions, it was impossible to mobilize a large army. There would be no supply lines or supporting Spiritual Vein along the way, and they would be highly vulnerable to attacks from powerful Demon Race factions. A single misstep could lead to the complete annihilation of their forces.

Furthermore, with Chu Nation's current fleet—only two Fourth-Rank Treasure Ship [massive enchanted vessels capable of flight and long-distance travel] and two more under construction—they could transport only tens of thousands of cultivators at once. Such a force would still be insufficient to storm the Huo Clan's fortified Spirit Mountain.

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

"That too is a wise course," agreed Exquisite Jiang [the Immortal Maiden Exquisite], giving a nod of assent.

Resolved to pursue peace talks, Eldrin Chen [the cultivator Eldrin Chen] wasted no time. That very day, he dispatched the message via a Spirit Talisman [a talisman imbued with spiritual energy] to the Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich in spiritual energy] of the Huo Clan [the Huo family clan]. Find this and other novels at audio—novel.com.