Chapter 453 : The Immortal Sword's Warning

After the overall battle plan was arranged, the group dispersed to garrison various Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with concentrated spiritual energy], leaving only Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang behind at the original location.

Once everyone had departed, Eldrin Chen paced restlessly for a moment, a note of unease in his voice as he said, "Now that the Demon Race [a race of malevolent beings] has mobilized its forces, the great battle will erupt within three months. Why has the Ji Clan still not made a move?"

Exquisite Jiang also furrowed her brow. After a long pause, she replied, "My cousin is meticulous and deliberate. He never acts unless he is certain of achieving complete success."

"He has likely been laying plans for many years. If he has not yet made his move, he must be waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

"Let us hope so."

A faint tremor passed through Eldrin Chen's heart. As the days drew nearer to the impending conflict, the weight of pressure upon him had grown increasingly heavy.

Suppressing his restless thoughts, Eldrin Chen strode out of the great hall to begin final preparations for the coming war.

Not long after leaving the hall, while inspecting the cultivators stationed at various posts, Eldrin Chen passed by the Teleportation Formation [a magical array for instantaneous travel over vast distances]. The Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword [a legendary sword imbued with solar and abyssal energies] within his body gave a faint tremor, radiating a sliver of killing intent.

"The Immortal Sword [a sentient weapon of immense power] is warning me."

Eldrin Chen's pupils contracted slightly. He noticed three Violet Sanctum Cultivator [cultivators who have reached the Violet Sanctum realm, a mid-level stage of power] guarding the Teleportation Formation. One of them had a dark, shadowed aura about his brow, a sign that something seemed amiss. For more chapters, visit audio-novel . com for the complete novel.

In that instant, Eldrin channeled the Demon-Slaying Immortal Sword within him. As expected, the sword resonated faintly, revealing that the Violet Sanctum Cultivator harbored a deeply concealed trace of a Demonic Path Curse Technique [a sinister magical technique that binds and corrupts its victim].

With this realization, his hand shot out, grasping towards that Violet Sanctum Cultivator.

The man was clearly not in his right mind. Seeing Eldrin Chen's hand descending, he immediately sought to destroy the Teleportation Formation [a magical array for instantaneous travel over vast distances].

Yet before Eldrin Chen's palm could even land, the pressure of its mere approach immobilized the man completely, allowing him to be effortlessly subdued and captured.

After subduing this Violet Sanctum Cultivator, the commotion drew the attention of many. Exquisite Jiang and Elara Lin approached, their expressions grave. "What happened?" they asked.

"Act now. Go and secure control of the Teleportation Formation arrays on the other Spirit Mountain [mountains rich with spiritual energy]," Eldrin Chen commanded urgently.

His tone brooked no delay. The others grasped the severity instantly. Several Golden Core Cultivator [practitioners who have condensed their spiritual power into a stable, golden core] immediately departed, swiftly securing the remaining Teleportation Formation arrays.

Only then did Eldrin Chen have a moment to act. He produced a Soul-Searching Talisman [a magical talisman that can forcibly extract memories from a target's soul] and began probing the subdued Violet Sanctum Cultivator's mind.

The memories revealed that the cultivator was originally a Violet Sanctum Cultivator from the Shyu Clan, a member of the Heavenly Ruins Alliance. Due to his affiliation, he had been entrusted with the crucial duty of guarding a Teleportation Formation Disk [the core component of a teleportation array].

However, the demonic forces had anticipated this. They had secretly afflicted him with the Black Fiend Entangling Threads Curse [a vile curse from Black Fiend Ridge that ensnares the victim's will], a sinister hex from Black Fiend Ridge. Once ensnared by this demonic curse, he was no longer master of his own actions.

Following the instructions from Black Fiend Ridge, he was to destroy the Teleportation Formation [a magical array for instantaneous travel over vast distances] of several Spirit Mountain [mountains rich in spiritual energy] at the critical moment of the great battle, thereby shattering the forces of the Chu Nation Cultivation World one by one.

This scheme of the Demonic Cultivator [practitioners of malevolent and forbidden arts] was utterly insidious. Instead of sending their own agents to infiltrate and cause chaos, they secretly controlled righteous cultivators through a Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique derived from profound cultivation].

Had it not been for Eldrin Chen's meticulous nature and the Demon-Slaying Immortal Sword [a legendary sword forged to vanquish demons] within his body, he might never have detected the anomaly.

After uncovering the truth, Exquisite Jiang spoke with a grave expression, "We previously only investigated cultivators practicing demonic arts. We overlooked the righteous cultivators who had been controlled by the Demonic Cultivator."

"Fortunately, you discovered the irregularity. Otherwise, this battle could have brought us immense trouble."

Eldrin Chen's eyes turned cold, glinting with killing intent as he declared, "The Demonic Cultivator would not rely on a single hidden move. We must conduct a thorough investigation immediately."

That very night, Eldrin Chen ordered the assembly of all cultivators at the Foundation Establishment Realm [the second major stage of cultivation, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation] and above. He summoned the Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a supreme artifact of immense power for suppressing demonic forces], the Heaven's Vault Mirror [a magical mirror that reveals truth and hidden intentions], to personally scrutinize those cultivators under demonic control.

Relying solely on the Heaven's Vault Mirror was deemed insufficient. They also made every cultivator at the Foundation Establishment level and above ascend the Heart-Questioning Platform [a mystical platform that tests the purity of one's heart and intentions], investigating each one individually.

After several rounds of investigation, a chill ran down their spines. Among the more than one thousand five hundred Foundation Establishment Cultivator participating in the battle, over eighty had already been implanted with the Black Fiend Entangling Threads Curse [a sinister curse that binds and controls the victim's will] from Black Fiend Ridge.

Even among the Patriarch [venerable leaders of a clan or sect] of the Violet Sanctum Realm [the third major stage of cultivation, where one opens their mystical core], seven individuals had fallen under the control of the Demonic Cultivator. Had the battle commenced, they could have destroyed all the Human Race's Teleportation Formation in a matter of moments.

After the investigation was completed, Patriarch Qian spoke with a lingering sense of dread, "This Demonic Fiendish Energy Entangling Thread Curse [a malevolent curse that binds its victim with threads of demonic energy] was hidden so deeply that even the Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure would have failed to detect it without meticulous scrutiny."

"Fortunately, Fellow Daoist Chen observed with such keen insight. Otherwise, our losses in this battle would likely have been devastatingly severe."

Eldrin Chen remained expressionless, stating calmly, "From now on, the Teleportation Formation [a mystical array for instantaneous travel over vast distances] on these Spirit Mountain must be guarded by trusted Violet Sanctum Cultivator [cultivators who have reached the Violet Sanctum realm]. Anyone acting suspiciously is to be apprehended immediately."

"That seems to be the only way."

Exquisite Jiang nodded in agreement, a nameless worry stirring within her heart.

Black Fiend Ridge had now fully colluded with the demonic fiends, making the outcome of this impending war increasingly unpredictable. Find thousands of chapters at audio . novel . com.

"..."

Through this purge, Eldrin Chen had finally rooted out the internal threats. However, the armies of the Demon Race were already advancing, their blades pointed directly at them.

Not long after, forces from the Savage Ox Ancient Plain [an ancient plain inhabited by savage, demonic oxen] and the Crimson Scorpion Ridge [a ridge teeming with giant crimson scorpions] began their march. Several Demon King [a powerful demonic ruler] territories within the Great Kun River mobilized their entire forces, surging down the mighty river's course towards Heavenly Ruins Lake.

These movements alone were concerning, but the development Eldrin Chen had feared most had come to pass.

The Golden Rhino Demon Emperor has also dispatched its forces. The Golden Core Demon King under its command has marched forth, its swords pointed directly at Demonic Ape Mountain, which is being defended by Kael Chen.

"Will the Golden Rhino Demon Emperor take action personally?"

After receiving the news, Eldrin Chen asked with a grave expression.

Exquisite Jiang shook her head, a sharp glint in her eyes as she spoke: "The main force at Azure Wave Lake remains stationary, yet the vanguard under the Golden Rhino Demon Emperor has already begun to move. It seems the Demon Race can no longer restrain its impatience."

"I fear that is indeed the case."

Eldrin Chen nodded. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the Ji Clan Patriarch would attempt to draw upon his Heaven Soul [the celestial component of one's soul] and attempt a breakthrough into the Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm of the spiritual core] within the next hundred years or so.

The Golden Rhino Demon Emperor borders the Ji Continent and naturally wishes to probe the Ji Clan. Perhaps the Demon Race is also waiting for an opportunity to deal the Ji Clan a crippling blow.

Thinking of this, Eldrin Chen's heart sank slightly. "The Golden Rhino clan is known for its volatile and obtuse nature. I've heard that despite his status as an Infant Soul Cultivator [a cultivator who has formed their nascent soul], the Golden Rhino Demon Emperor is notoriously brutish and overbearing."

"My fear is that he might cast aside all decorum and personally intervene against our Chu Nation."

Hearing this, Exquisite Jiang's gaze also sharpened. She could only reply, "Even if Golden Rhino Ridge discards its pride, we need not fear. With our current strength, we are more than capable of confronting the two Demon Emperor [powerful rulers of demon clans] from Golden Rhino Ridge."

Eldrin Chen remained silent, yet within him, the battle intent of the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword seethed and boiled. An infinite sword will surged, as if about to manifest into a violet dragon of an Immortal Sword [a legendary sword wielded by celestial beings], ready to defy and cleave through a Demon Emperor [a supreme ruler among demonic beings].

Time flowed swiftly by, and in the blink of an eye, the Demon Race [the collective term for demonic beings] had encircled Heavenly Ruins Lake.

Eldrin Chen gazed at the Demon Race forces from Crimson Scorpion Ridge and Great Kun River, his expression etched with killing intent. "The pressure facing Demonic Ape Mountain from Golden Rhino Ridge," he stated, "far exceeds our initial estimations."

"We must act with decisive speed. Before the main force from Golden Rhino Ridge can reinforce Demonic Ape Mountain, we must shatter this allied Demon Race army here and now."

"Agreed!"

Exquisite Jiang gave a firm nod. Together with Eldrin Chen, they launched their assault, striking directly into the heart of the Demon Race forces that had invaded Heavenly Ruins Lake. Join our community of readers at AUDIO-NOVEL.COM.