Chapter 438 : Sun and Moon Descend Upon Crimson Flame

"Since you are confident in dealing with Crimson Flame True Lord [a powerful cultivator at the True Lord realm], then it is indeed time to settle this millennium-old Karma [the cosmic principle of cause and effect that binds all actions]."

The Slanting Sun Wheel [a powerful enchanted artifact shaped like a radiant wheel] blazed with scorching light, its tone calm yet carrying a sharp edge: "However, that Crimson Flame True Lord is, after all, an existence at the Infant Soul [the stage of cultivation where one's nascent soul is formed] level, and its vitality far surpasses that of an ordinary True Lord [a high-ranking cultivator title]. Completely eradicating it will be no easy feat."

"Later, we will use the Formation [a mystical array or formation used to channel and amplify power] to suppress this fiend. You two should then seize the opportune moment to strike."

Exquisite Jiang and Eldrin Chen exchanged a glance before nodding in agreement. "Senior, rest assured," Exquisite Jiang said, "We will both exert our full strength to slay this monster."

"Good." The tone of the Selene's Ring [a powerful artifact named after the moon goddess] grew heavy and resolute. "In this battle, even if we must pay a heavy price and deplete our vital essence, we are determined to utterly annihilate this creature."

With the decision made, Selene's Ring and the Slanting Sun Wheel immediately pushed the Formation to its absolute limit. Amplified by the Fifth Rank Formation [a high-level mystical array], they transformed into a pair of Sun and Moon [celestial bodies representing supreme yang and yin forces] descending from the heavens. They cleaved into the sea of molten lava with majestic divine might.

"ROAR—!"

A bellow that shook the heavens and earth erupted. From the boundless sea of fiery magma, a torrent of scorching lava burst forth. A figure, majestic and terrifying like a divine demon, strained against the suppressing power of the Formation. It roared as it surged out from the depths of the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire [a legendary sea of eternal, imprisoning flames].

Although the Formation of the Sun and Moon Sect [a major cultivation sect] now bore minor imperfections, it could still unleash the full might of the two Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [artifacts of the highest grade, specifically designed to vanquish demons]. As expected, their combined strike wounded the suppressed Crimson Flame True Lord.

Eldrin Chen watched as the Crimson Flame True Lord emerged, its body etched with countless glowing formation patterns. With both hands, it heaved the manifested Sun and Moon skyward. In that moment, it resembled a Demon God [a supreme entity of the demonic races] that had clawed its way out from a hell forged of pure Crimson Flame [a divine ability or power associated with crimson-colored, destructive flames]. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio–novel.com.

"Although this fiend lacks a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a supreme-grade artifact specifically designed to suppress demonic beings] and his magical power is somewhat inferior to that of a True Lord [a cultivator who has reached the Infant Soul Realm], his physical body is more formidable than that of many demons. Perhaps only the top-tier beings of the Demon Race [the collective term for demonic creatures], such as flood dragons or Great Roc [a mythical giant bird of prey], could rival it."

Exquisite Jiang's gaze sharpened, a trace of solemnity coloring her thoughts.

Watching Crimson Flame True Lord wreak havoc, Eldrin Chen spoke, "Now, with the assistance of the Netherworld Stone [a rare mineral imbued with potent yin energy], the power of this Formation [a structured arrangement of energy nodes and patterns used for defense, attack, or cultivation] has surged dramatically. For this fiend to still withstand the Formation while confronting two Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [supreme-grade artifacts specifically designed to suppress demonic beings], he must be paying a significant price."

"You're right. Then let's act."

Exquisite Jiang's eyes flashed with determination. In that instant, she summoned forth the Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword.

Instantly, this peerless Demon-Slaying Immortal Sword erupted with a light of pure Slaughter [a divine ability or law embodying the concept of absolute destruction and killing]. An unparalleled white sword radiance crisscrossed the void; in terms of pure Slaughter power, it was in no way inferior to the Vault Heaven Immortal Sword.

This Slaughter-imbued Immortal Sword [a sword artifact of immortal grade] seemed born to counter Infant Soul True Lord [cultivators who have reached the Infant Soul Realm]. Its sneak attack strike now carved a hundred-zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] long gash into the flesh of Crimson Flame True Lord.

"What a formidable physical body."

Exquisite Jiang's pupils contracted slightly, a flicker of regret passing through her heart.

It was a pity her cultivation base was ultimately somewhat lacking. Had she broken through to the Infant Soul Realm [the realm where a cultivator forms their Infant Soul, a major milestone], that single sword strike would have cleaved Crimson Flame True Lord's body clean in two.

"How dare you!"

Struck by this sudden and grievous blow, Crimson Flame True Lord let out a furious roar, his face a mask of shock and rage as he glared at Exquisite Jiang.

Pinned down by the Formation and the Sun and Moon Twin Wheels, and seeing the Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword still wreaking havoc, he let out a bestial snarl and expelled a mouthful of faint crimson, mist-like energy.

"Beware! It's his Infant Soul Essence [the condensed spiritual core of an Infant Soul cultivator]!"

Exquisite Jiang's pupils contracted sharply. "He's going all out," she warned urgently.

The Infant Soul Essence of an Infant Soul True Lord is one of their most formidable trump cards. This essence is a miraculous power born from the Trinity Unity [the fusion of Vital Essence, Energy, and Spirit] achieved at the Infant Soul realm.

It contains a trace of Creation Origin [primordial creative force], and once unleashed, it can cause the Infant Soul True Lord's power to surge dramatically.

Infant Soul Essence is extraordinarily precious. It can nourish a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a top-tier artifact capable of suppressing demons] and restore its diminished potency.

Unfortunately, Infant Soul Essence is the very source of an Infant Soul cultivator's power. Overusing it grievously wounds their spiritual foundation, requiring vast stretches of time to slowly recover.

It is precisely for this reason that an Infant Soul True Lord is loath to tap into this precious Infant Soul Essence, reserving it only for moments of absolute necessity.

At this moment, Crimson Flame True Lord sensed the peril and decisively consumed his Infant Soul Essence [the condensed spiritual core of an Infant Soul cultivator]. In a Ksana-time [an infinitesimal unit of time], that blazing Infant Soul Essence ignited, causing his spiritual power to surge by a full fifty percent.

"Be careful! We cannot hold him back any longer!"

Selene's Ring sensed the dire turn of events and urgently warned her two companions.

After consuming the Infant Soul Essence, the Crimson Flame True Lord's power approached the very limits of the Infant Soul Early Stage. Even a cultivator of the Earthly Path Infant Soul [a powerful cultivation art] would likely hesitate to engage him in a life-or-death struggle at this moment.

Such an entity, if not trapped within the formation, would be nearly impossible to subdue even with their combined efforts.

Then, the Crimson Flame True Lord was seen, his body wreathed in molten rock and flame, utterly disregarding the suppression from the Formation [a structured array of power] and the two Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [supreme-grade treasures for vanquishing demons]. Clutching his Companion Spiritual Treasure [a treasure that grows with its master], he soared into the air and cleaved downward, his strike aimed directly at Exquisite Jiang. The complete novel can be found at site: audio-novel.com.

"Trinity Divine Thunder!"

Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted slightly. He raised his hand and unleashed the Trinity Divine Thunder [a divine ability manifesting three elemental thunders].

The Trinity Divine Thunder spun ceaselessly, transforming into a rotating vortex of three-colored light that shot forth, erupting with a deafening peal of thunder.

Powered by his current cultivation base and amplified by the Five Thunder Great Cycle [a profound cultivation art of five thunders], the might of this single strike surpassed even a full-power assault from a False Infant Soul Realm Cultivator [a cultivator at the pseudo-Infant Soul stage].

Yet such a mighty Great God Ability [a supreme divine technique], unleashed with overwhelming force, was severed by a single sword stroke in the blink of an eye. The strike's momentum did not falter, continuing its deadly arc towards them.

Exquisite Jiang channeled her Demon-Slaying Immortal Sword [a sword forged to vanquish demons] to meet the blow, but the impact was so tremendous that the sword was sent flying back, deflected.

"We cannot meet it head-on!"

Witnessing the vast, rolling aura emanating from Crimson Flame True Lord, Exquisite Jiang swiftly activated her Three Treasures Glazed Armor [an enchanted armor that protects body, energy, and spirit]. She grasped Eldrin Chen and executed a rapid evasion technique.

The Crimson Flame Greatsword [a massive blade wreathed in crimson fire] passed by with a hair's breadth to spare. Even the residual force of its passage was enough to cause a trickle of blood to escape from the corner of Exquisite Jiang's lips.

"Are you injured?"

A pang of anguish shot through Eldrin Chen's heart. He immediately produced an [a medicinal pill that aids healing and recovery] and carefully fed it to Exquisite Jiang.

Exquisite Jiang shook her head, a note of frustration in her voice. "It is a pity. The Three Treasures Glazed Armor requires a full Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years] to restore its full protective power. Were it at its peak, we would not have been at such a disadvantage relying on its might."

Although formidable, the Three Treasures Glazed Armor was, after all, not a Lifebound Magical Treasure [a treasure personally nurtured and bound to a cultivator's life force]. To quickly regain its potency, this treasure required nurturing by Infant Soul Essence [the refined spiritual energy of the Infant Soul realm]. As they had not yet broken through to the Infant Soul [the realm where one's nascent soul forms], they could only allow it to slowly draw energy from a Spiritual Vein [a subterranean conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] to recover.

While they could still activate the armor using their Golden Core Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Golden Core realm] cultivation base, the power they could draw from it was ultimately significantly diminished.

With this thought in mind, Eldrin Chen declared, "This beast has only just entered the Infant Soul [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul is formed] realm. Right now, it's merely propping itself up by burning its Infant Soul Essence [the foundational spiritual energy of the Infant Soul stage]."

"We should not engage it in a direct clash. Once its Infant Soul Essence is exhausted, subduing it will become far easier."

The two shifted their strategy, beginning to circle and fight from a distance.

The Crimson Flame True Lord's decisive, all-or-nothing sword strike had failed to achieve its intended result. Now, brimming with peerless divine might, it pursued them relentlessly. Yet, the pair managed to evade serious injury, skillfully parrying its assaults with their magical treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] and Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique] while fluidly disengaging and repositioning.

Despite being empowered by the Formation [a structured array that channels and amplifies energy] and suppressed by the full force of two Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [artifacts of the highest grade specifically designed to vanquish demonic beings], the Crimson Flame True Lord found its overwhelming divine might yielding to a creeping sense of futility.

"Damnation!"

After unleashing over a dozen full-powered attacks without managing to capture the duo, a thread of genuine anxiety began to weave through the Crimson Flame True Lord.

Its current overwhelming eruption of power was the only thing suppressing the Formation and the two Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure. If it could not seize victory before its Infant Soul Essence was drained dry, a grim fate awaited—it would be left utterly defenseless, awaiting its doom. This novel is serialized on site: audio-novel.com. Visit for updates.