Chapter 459 : Betrayal of the Crimson Dragon

The expressions of the many Demon Emperors shifted slightly, but before those few Demon Emperors could act, an even greater unforeseen event unfolded.

Crimson Dragon True Lord actually abandoned his opponent and, with a flick of his hand, sent a blade of swordlight arcing toward Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang.

"A traitor from within."

In that fleeting instant, Eldrin Chen's face paled with shock and horror. Crimson Dragon True Lord was a close friend of the Grand Elder of Ji Clan; why would he suddenly attack them?

In the same breath, his gaze snapped to the flood dragon upon which the Crimson Dragon True Lord was seated. Its scales were crimson as blood, its twin horns pointed skyward like divine swords, and within its draconic eyes swirled a baleful aura capable of engulfing heaven and earth.

"Was it the True Lord riding the dragon, or the dragon controlling the True Lord?"

"So that's how it is."

It became clear that the Demon Race's primary objective from the very beginning had been to eliminate these two prodigies of boundless potential.

Over the years, as their fame had soared, the Demon Race had long been watching them with deep apprehension. This apprehension had grown to an intolerable level, reaching a point where they *had* to be killed, especially after they forged the Demon-Slaying Immortal Sword.

After all, with the Demon-Slaying Immortal Sword in their grasp, their chances of seizing the Heavenly Path Energy [a supreme spiritual essence required for a critical breakthrough] would be immense. Once they obtained the Heavenly Path Energy, their ascension to the Heavenly Path Infant Soul [a legendary cultivation realm] would be virtually assured. Dive deeper into the Dao at audio‑novel.com.

Nearly all of them could cultivate to the Great Perfection of Infant Soul. Faced with such formidable enemies possessing such terrifying potential, if they were not slain before their breakthrough to the Infant Soul realm, the difficulty of dealing with them later would be on an entirely different level.

All along, due to the influence of the Ji Clan, they had never found a suitable opportunity to strike and eliminate the two. Thus, they seized this very moment to finally cut them down.

"Disaster!"

Witnessing the Crimson Dragon True Lord turn traitor, many faces were etched with despair.

Both the Crimson Dragon and the Crimson Dragon True Lord were beings at the Infant Soul Late Stage. For them, slaying Eldrin Chen and his companion would be as effortless as crushing an ant.

Most crucially, with the addition of these two Infant Soul Late Stage powerhouses, coupled with the now-unfettered Melancholy Inscription Lord joining the fray, the tide of this battle was poised for a drastic and unforeseen shift.

Yet, at that very moment, from the distant edge of the void, five beams of extreme light shot into the Heavenly Vault. They coalesced into a single, towering pillar of five-colored radiance, which then transformed into a cage of Formation [a complex magical array or barrier] energy, completely enveloping this expanse of void.

The formidable strike unleashed by the Crimson Dragon True Lord was instantly blocked by this newly manifested Formation.

"How is this possible?"

The faces of several Demon Emperor [supreme rulers of demonic races] paled with shock. They now perceived five True Lord [a high-ranking cultivator title] figures, each radiating immense and majestic auras, soaring into the sky. Each held aloft a Formation Flag [a banner used to control and power a magical array], the source of the imprisoning light.

Among those five True Lord [a title for cultivators who have reached the Nascent Soul stage], two were the Second Elder and Third Elder of the Ji Clan, both at the Infant Soul Late Stage [the final phase of the Nascent Soul cultivation stage].

Behind these five True Lord, there stood a legion numbering fifty thousand cultivators, the weakest among them having attained the Foundation Establishment [the foundational stage of cultivation, where one builds their spiritual base] realm.

The cultivation arts practiced by these cultivators belonged to the Five Elements [the five fundamental spiritual affinities: Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth]. When their combined power was channeled together, it caused the might of this Formation [a structured arrangement of cultivators or objects to channel and amplify power] to surge explosively.

"The Path Soldiers Grand Formation."

A Demon Emperor [a ruler among demonic beings, possessing immense power] cried out in recognition, identifying the origin of this Formation.

Path Soldiers were elite military formations that only a Human Race Path Lord Sacred Land [a supreme holy land of the human race, led by a Path Lord] possessed the capability to train. They represented one of the most formidable foundational strengths of a Path Lord Sacred Land.

"Did you truly believe that our Ji Clan could not suppress a mere Black Fiend Demon Ridge?"

High in the sky, Path Inscription Ji spoke with calm authority. The Ji Clan had once been a Path Lord Sacred Land, its hidden depths and legacy far surpassing ordinary imagination.

Now, having invited several True Lord allies for assistance, they could not only handle the Black Fiend Demon Ridge with ease, but they also had forces in place to intercept those from the Golden-Winged Great Roc Lineage [a powerful lineage of demonic birds with golden wings].

Path Inscription Ji continued calmly, his gaze settling upon Crimson Dragon True Lord [a Daoist title meaning 'True Lord of the Crimson Dragon']. "For this campaign, we invited several True Lord to lend their strength. Most are merely holding other Demon Emperor at bay. Do you know why we specifically invited you to participate directly in the battle?"

"This..."

Crimson Dragon True Lord paled, and the crimson flood dragon coiled around him revealed a look of shock.

He had thought the Ji Clan valued his dragon-taming arts and had invited him to participate in this battle. He never imagined it was merely a test of his loyalty.

Observing his expression, Path Inscription Ji sighed with regret. "Proceed."

The Five Elements Heaven-Piercing Formation enveloped the void. Powered by five Infant Soul True Lord working in concert and the combined might of fifty thousand Path Soldiers, its unleashed power neared the Half-Step Primordial Spirit Realm.

Even the Azure Flood Dragon Demon Emperor himself would tread carefully against such a Formation. The gathered Infant Soul Demon Emperor naturally stood little chance. This chapter appears courtesy of audio~novel.com.

The three Flood Dragon Demon Emperor wore expressions of utmost gravity. The Golden Flood Dragon Demon Emperor opened its maw and spat out a lustrous jade talisman, crying out, "Imperial Father, save me!"

"Roar—!"

Instantly, the sky at the horizon was torn asunder, a void in the fabric of reality ripped open.

A colossal azure flood dragon, its body sheathed in verdant-gold scales and stretching nearly ten thousand zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters], coiled into view. Its form was majestic, bearing a striking resemblance to a True Dragon.

It soared through the clouds, exhaling mist, its four claws rending the void. Its draconic eyes blazed like twin suns.

Yet, it did not look towards the five figures within the formation. Instead, its gaze pierced the distant depths of the void as it spoke with calm authority, "Dorian, if you wish to avoid an early confrontation, release them."

"Oh?"

A faint, unhurried voice drifted from the distant void.

Initially, the tone was placid, yet it swiftly transformed, resonating like the very voice of the Great Path [the fundamental principle governing all existence]. It swelled into a divine sound capable of shaking heaven and cleaving earth, echoing across ten thousand Li-lengths of mountains and rivers.

Lifting their gazes, the onlookers beheld a figure clad in violet robes striding forth.

He stood tall and slender, his form shrouded in swirling Violet Aura [a supreme, regal form of spiritual energy]. This aura coalesced into ethereal purple True Dragons and Immortal Phoenixes that coiled around him—a manifestation of being in harmony with the Great Path.

Such is the nature of a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a cultivator whose spiritual core has nearly merged with the fundamental laws]. Their Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] verges on touching the Great Path itself. They exist in a perpetual state of enlightenment, capable of inducing phenomena that resonate with the fundamental laws.

That Ji Clan Patriarch could evoke such a phenomenon clearly indicated he stood but a single step away from the Path Lord realm.

Indeed, this was the truth. Ji Clan Patriarch was no ordinary half-step Path Lord. Having cultivated to this pinnacle, his confidence in breaking through to the Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm of the Primordial Spirit] was nearly eight or nine parts out of ten.

The only things that could truly hinder him now were the External Tribulation [a tribulation of external calamities and karmic retribution] and the Heavenly Thunder Tribulation [the heavenly thunder tribulation faced during major realm advancements] of the Path Lord [a master who has comprehended and embodied a fundamental cosmic principle or 'Path'] realm.

At this moment, Dorian Ji strode forward. With each step, a violet lotus bloomed beneath his feet. His eyes held a profound calm as he spoke, "What of it, even if we must do battle?"

"Hmph—"

The azure flood dragon, on the verge of its draconic transformation, snorted coldly, its expression icy. "At our level of cultivation, a battle to the death would likely shatter the Path [the fundamental cosmic principle or Dao a cultivator follows] for both of us, condemning our future prospects."

"You would perish. I would not."

Dorian Ji stated with serene indifference. Above his head, an immortal furnace materialized, hovering silently in the air. Its mere presence seemed potent enough to refine and dissolve the very Nine Heavens Celestial Immortals and Demons [a legendary coalition of supreme celestial beings and ancient demonic powers].

"The Immortal Refining Furnace!"

The azure flood dragon's gaze turned frigid. After a long pause, it finally spoke, "Over five hundred years ago, the Immortal Refining Furnace [a legendary artifact capable of refining even immortals] was grievously wounded by a concerted assault from the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [powerful demonic entities originating from realms beyond this one]. How much of its former might has it recovered by now?"

"If you were to wield it yourself to slay me, would you still be able to survive your Primordial Spirit Great Tribulation [the cataclysmic heavenly trial faced when advancing to the Primordial Spirit realm]?"

The Azure Flood Dragon Demon Emperor [a sovereign among flood dragon demons, possessing immense power and authority] sneered as he spoke. From between his brows, a cyan-colored ruler, gleaming with dazzling radiance, shot forth.

"The Green Jade Heaven-Measuring Ruler [a supreme treasure said to be able to measure the heavens themselves]."

Dorian Ji spoke calmly, "The Green Jade Heaven-Measuring Ruler is one of the Nine Heavens Exotic Treasures [legendary artifacts of unparalleled rarity and power]. Although this treasure cannot compare to the Immortal Refining Furnace [a legendary furnace capable of refining immortals], it is still a Primordial Solar Supreme Treasure [a supreme treasure of the highest order, forged in the dawn of creation] that commands awe across the world."

This object was originally the Primordial Solar Supreme Treasure of the Black Dragon Demon Ancestor [a primordial and immensely powerful demonic dragon progenitor]. That Azure Flood Dragon Demon Emperor [a powerful demon emperor of the flood dragon lineage] possessed the potential of a Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a master who has reached the pinnacle of the Primordial Spirit cultivation stage] and was also a direct descendant of the Black Dragon Demon Ancestor's bloodline, which is why he was favored and bestowed with it. This chapter appears courtesy of audio - novel . com.