Chapter 425 : The Verdant Formation's Last Stand

He was somewhat older than Taicang the Elder Demon and had been more favored by the previous sect master of the Verdant Immortal Sect. Unfortunately, his pursuit of forging a Middle Golden Core had ruined everything.

"Without the Yang-Returning Calamity-Dispelling Pill, perhaps Silas would have also walked that same path, ultimately lacking sufficient lifespan to advance further."

Eldrin Chen's thoughts flickered, but he ultimately shook his head. In this world, there were no 'ifs'. Success was simply success.

Silas Chen forged his Middle Golden Core at two hundred and eighty years of age. This unequivocally marked him as possessing the aptitude for Nascent Soul. In the future, he would have at least a thirty to forty percent chance of breaking through to the Nascent Soul realm.

Suppressing the sigh in his heart, Eldrin Chen looked at Taiwu the True Person and said, "Rest assured. As long as I remain in this world, the Verdant Immortal Sect will naturally receive my care."

"My thanks."

Taiwu the True Person smiled, a slight sense of relief washing over him. With nearly two centuries of friendship between them, he felt he understood Eldrin Chen quite well.

This was a peerless genius with a high likelihood of breaking through to Nascent Soul. With even a modicum of his protection, the Verdant Immortal Sect would surely be spared the peril of extinction.

After Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang arrived, they personally assisted Taiwu the True Person in deploying the Formation.

Not long after, the Verdant Formation Plate was fully deployed. The group of Golden Core Cultivators gathered together, making their final preparations before the battle. Official source: www . audio-novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

Lyra Jiang [the esteemed cultivator and strategist] surveyed the assembled group and was the first to speak. "Esteemed colleagues," she began, her voice clear and measured, "according to our intelligence, there are at least five Golden Core Demonic Cultivator [powerful demonic practitioners who have reached the Golden Core stage] within the confines of Demonic Ape Mountain [the mountain stronghold of the ape demon tribe]."

"Among them, three are the Demonic Ape Demon King [the sovereign ruler of the ape demons] of the Demon Chariot Tribe [a powerful tribe of demonic apes] and the two Demon King [titles for powerful demonic rulers] known as Blood Ape [a ferocious ape demon] and Black Ape [a cunning and shadowy ape demon]. They have all fully embraced the Demonic Path [the corrupt and power-hungry way of demonic cultivation]. The Demonic Ape Demon King is particularly formidable; his current cultivation has reached the Golden Core Great Perfection [the pinnacle of the Golden Core stage, just before attempting to form a Nascent Soul]."

Upon hearing this, a shadow of gravity fell over the faces of those present. The Demonic Ape Demon King had already been at the Golden Core, Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Golden Core realm] over a century ago. Now, having descended further into demonic practices, his power had surged dramatically, transforming him into a profoundly troublesome adversary [a thorny and difficult challenge to overcome].

Lyra Jiang paused briefly before continuing. "Aside from the Demonic Ape Demon King, I suspect that Blackfire True Person [a disciple known for his mastery of dark flames], a disciple of the Black Malignancy Ancient Ancestor [a notorious ancient demonic master], and also the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern [a sinister ruler dwelling in caverns] are likely hiding within Demonic Ape Mountain as well."

"Is that truly the case?"

Qian the Sect Master [the leader of the Firmament Sword Sect], representing the Firmament Sword Sect [a major orthodox sword cultivation sect], could not help but let his expression shift slightly at these words.

Both Blackfire True Person and the Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern were cultivators at the Golden Core, Late Stage. Blackfire True Person was even at the Golden Core Great Perfection. Given his cultivation base and combat prowess, even the assembled masters here felt a prickling sense of a formidable challenge [a situation requiring great effort and skill to resolve].

Eldrin Chen [the renowned Abyssal Emperor] remained composed, his expression serene. "There is no need for undue concern," he stated calmly. "The Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern has had his physical body destroyed twice within the last century. Even if he has managed to reconstruct it now, it is virtually impossible for him to have broken through to Golden Core Great Perfection."

"Furthermore, approximately thirty-eight years ago, the elder demon Blackfire True Person had his physical form shattered by my wife and myself. It is likely his reconstruction is not yet fully complete."

Hearing his analysis, the tension in the room eased slightly, a collective breath of relief passing through the gathered experts.

The Blackfire True Person possessed extraordinary methods, yet in less than forty years, the physical body he had reconstructed was likely still quite frail. His current strength was estimated to be only at the level of the Golden Core Seventh Layer [the seventh stage of the Golden Core cultivation realm].

The gap between the Golden Core Seventh Layer and the Golden Core Great Perfection [the pinnacle of the Golden Core realm] was still vast. Although Qian the True Person had recently broken through to the Golden Core Seventh Layer, he felt that even two of himself combined could only barely contend with a cultivator at the Golden Core Great Perfection.

Seeing the fighting spirit rise among the group, Eldrin Chen spoke again: "There are five Golden Core Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who follow a demonic path and have reached the Golden Core realm]; their strength should not be underestimated. To avoid repeating the tragedy of the Demon Cave Cavern [a cavernous lair once overrun by demons], I ask that everyone give their utmost in this battle."

"We understand."

The group nodded in agreement and immediately began their assault on Demonic Ape Mountain [a mountain stronghold inhabited by demonic apes].

Tens of thousands of cultivators joined forces, utilizing the power of the Verdant Formation Plate [a powerful formation control artifact] to activate a grand Formation [a structured arrangement of energy for attack or defense]. They relentlessly compressed the Demonic Malignancy Barrier [a defensive barrier woven from demonic and malignant energies] surrounding Demonic Ape Mountain.

After the Formation had pressed for three days, Lyra Jiang and Eldrin Chen personally took command of a War Treasure Boat [a massive, weaponized flying vessel]. They activated the barrier-breaking Divine Ability [a supreme technique born from profound cultivation] housed upon the treasure boat and commenced the final assault on the Demonic Malignancy Barrier.

The Heaven's Ruin Alliance now possessed a full four Fourth Rank [a grade denoting power equivalent to the Golden Core realm] War Treasure Boat. Under their combined, full-powered assault, over twenty strikes of the Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword Aura [a sword aura technique that harnesses the power of seven stars to slay demons] were unleashed. Finally, they managed to forcibly shatter the Demonic Malignancy Barrier.

"Now!"

The moment the Demonic Malignancy Barrier collapsed, Lyra Jiang gave the order and was the first to charge inside. Eldrin Chen followed close behind, and the remaining dozen or so Golden Core Cultivator [cultivators who have formed a Golden Core, the condensed essence of their power] surged in together, weapons drawn.

"Clang—"

The moment Eldrin Chen's feet touched the ground, he sensed a brilliant sword radiance cleaving towards him. Raising his hand, he summoned a divine thunderbolt, forcing the incoming immortal sword into retreat.

Only after this did Eldrin Chen sweep his gaze around, discovering that the one who had attacked him was none other than Deng Morgrim.

"So it's you?"

Eldrin Chen's eyes turned icy. He had not expected that after several decades, this Deng Morgrim had not yet exhausted his lifespan and had even managed to reconstruct his physical body.

At this moment, Deng Morgrim's gaze was filled with a frigid killing intent. Years ago, his physical form had been destroyed by Eldrin Chen, and with no other recourse, he had ultimately joined the ranks of Demonic Ape Mountain. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio-novel dot com.

Thereafter, he converted to the Demonic Path, selling his Life Soul [the soul that governs one's life force and destiny] to an Extraterrestrial Demon God [a malevolent deity from beyond this world]. This granted him an additional Jiazi-time [a sixty-year cycle] of lifespan, and with the power of the Demonic Spring [a spring imbued with demonic energy], he reforged his flesh.

Furthermore, with the boon received from the Demon God in exchange for his Life Soul, Deng Morgrim's cultivation finally advanced another step, reaching the realm of Golden Core Great Perfection. It seemed he even had one final chance to attempt a breakthrough to the Nascent Soul realm.

As the saying goes, when enemies meet, their eyes blaze with hatred. Deng Morgrim's gaze was filled with a maddened killing intent as he sneered, "Indeed, it is I. Today, the karma between us shall be settled."

With those words, Deng Morgrim transformed into a crimson blur and lunged forward.

Simultaneously, Blackfire True Person [a powerful cultivator known for his dark flame techniques], Lord of the Demon Cave Cavern [the ruler of a notorious demonic stronghold], and the Demonic Ape Demon King [a mighty king of the ape demon tribe] all unleashed their attacks together. With overwhelming, heaven-shaking power, they converged upon Eldrin Chen.

"How dare you!"

From the side, Lyra Jiang soared into the sky. She summoned her Heaven's Ruin Immortal-Slaying Sword [a legendary sword famed for its power to slay immortals] and joined Eldrin Chen in facing the enemies.

The great battle erupted into a white-hot frenzy from the very start. A vast tide of Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use demonic energy and forbidden arts] clashed against the forces of the Human Race cultivators. For a time, victory and defeat hung precariously in the balance, impossible to discern.

"The Demonic Fiend Qi [a malevolent and corrupting energy] here is overwhelming. We cannot afford a protracted fight," declared Qian the Sect Master as he wielded his Firmament Immortal Sword [a celestial sword of immense power] against a formidable foe, his expression grave. "This old man will go to suppress the Demonic Spring [a source of concentrated demonic energy]."

Lyra Jiang gave a firm nod. "Senior, please lend him your aid as well," she urged.

"*Hummm—*"

In that instant, the very void seemed to congeal and grow heavy.

Dazzling, pure white light flooded heaven and earth. An ethereal Treasure Mirror [a powerful enchanted artifact] materialized in the sky and shot towards the depths of the Ink Spring.

Yet, in that very same breath, an aura of terrifying, unparalleled might erupted from the heart of Demonic Ape Mountain. Qian the Sect Master, still clutching his Firmament Immortal Sword, was sent reeling back, blood spraying from his mouth.

"Who is it?"

Eldrin Chen's gaze grew heavy as he realized that from the depths of Demonic Ape Mountain, a sapphire-scaled flood dragon was soaring into the sky, its claws bared and its aura overwhelming as it surged forth.

It was a flood dragon of terrifying power. A pair of horns crowned its head, and its scales shimmered with a frigid, metallic light, each plate forged as if from blue-gold, radiating an astonishing, bone-chilling cold.

"It's him!"

The pupils of the group constricted as they recognized the beast's origin.

There is a difference between a mere flood serpent and a true flood dragon. For instance, the former Black Flood Dragon Demon King was merely a vicious serpent, not a true dragon.

The Azure Flood Dragon Demon King had once been a peak Demon King at the False Nascent Soul realm. Yet, in the mere span of thirty-some years, it had shed its serpent form and attained the body of a true flood dragon. Such innate talent was in no way inferior to that of a Human Race cultivator who had formed a Superior Golden Core. For more chapters, visit site: audio-novel.com for the complete novel.