Chapter 485 : The Demon King's Tribulation

Though Verdant Edge Ye was still young, he possessed remarkable precociousness. Having been tutored by his grandfather, he already recognized a considerable number of characters.

During his entire period of recuperation on Nine Provinces Island, Eldrin Chen spent his days teaching the boy the meridians and acupoints of the human body, as well as imparting the runes and script used in cultivation. In the blink of an eye, a full month had passed.

On this day, after finishing Verdant Edge Ye's cultivation lessons, he said to Exquisite Jiang, "Through our observations these past days, we have gained a decent understanding of Nine Rivers Island."

"I have decided to lend them our aid and go slay the Bixia Demon King."

"It is only fitting," Exquisite Jiang nodded with a slight smile. "I see Nine Rivers Island is already preparing to act. That Bixia Bloodline Extraordinary—if we can slay it, the rewards for us might be quite substantial."

"Then let us go find Face River Lu," he said.

True to their word, the two immediately made their way to the main hall and located Face River Lu.

Seeing their arrival, Face River Lu greeted them with evident delight. "Have the two of you reached a decision?"

"Indeed," Eldrin Chen nodded calmly. "Since this involves vanquishing demons and eradicating evil, we shall naturally contribute our share of strength."

"With your esteemed assistance, our chances of success in this battle are assuredly increased," Face River Lu replied. Visit audio-novel.com to enjoy the complete series.

Hugo Lu revealed a smile, feeling in his heart that the chances of success this time might indeed be considerable.

With this thought, he hurriedly added, "To be perfectly honest, that Bixia Demon King is already in seclusion attempting a breakthrough into the Infant Soul Realm [the realm where a cultivator's nascent soul forms]. It is likely he will face his tribulation within three months, which is why we are already preparing to set out."

Exquisite Jiang's eyes flickered. "And when do you plan to depart?"

"In three days' time," Hugo Lu replied.

Three days passed swiftly. On that day, after settling Verdant Edge Ye, Eldrin Chen arrived early at the main hall of Nine Rivers Island.

Upon entering the hall, Eldrin Chen discovered that over fifty Golden Core Cultivators [cultivators who have condensed a golden core of spiritual power] had already gathered there.

Most of these fifty-odd Golden Core True Persons [a respectful title for Golden Core cultivators] hailed from Nine Rivers Island or nearby Spirit Islands. However, the majority were only at the early or middle stages of Golden Core cultivation. Those with Golden Core Late Stage cultivation numbered a mere nine.

Even counting Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang, the total was only eleven.

Eldrin Chen observed them carefully and noted that among these few Golden Core Late Stage cultivators, only three had reached Golden Core Perfection [the pinnacle of the Golden Core realm].

These three were a woman in palace attire, a withered old man, and Hugo Lu, the disciple of the Nine Rivers True Person.

"You two have finally arrived."

Upon seeing Eldrin Chen arrive, Face River Lu smiled and began the introductions. He gestured towards the palace-robed woman and the gaunt elder, saying, "This is Immortal Maiden Willow from Nightlight Island, and this is Blazing Fire Path Master, the foremost rogue cultivator in the seas near our Nine Rivers Island."

"A pleasure to meet you all."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, acknowledging the introductions.

After the introductions, Face River Lu led the eleven Golden Core Late Stage cultivators alone to an inner chamber.

He activated a sound-dampening barrier [a magical field that prevents sound from escaping] before speaking in a low voice. "Our plan is a surprise assault. The other Golden Core Cultivators will primarily serve to intercept the Demon Kings from Boulder Island."

"The true main force tasked with besieging the Bixia Demon King will be us eleven Golden Core Late Stage cultivators."

Immortal Maiden Willow frowned, her expression turning grave. "And the Boulder Demon Emperor..." she began, concern evident in her voice.

Seeing her worry, Face River Lu reassured her. "Set your mind at ease. My master will handle the Boulder Demon Emperor."

The others nodded, a measure of relief settling over them. As long as the Boulder Demon Emperor was contained, they, as Golden Core Late Stage True Persons [a title for cultivators who have reached the Golden Core realm], stood a significant chance of escaping even if the battle turned against them.

Even if the Bixia Demon King ascends to the Demon Emperor realm, it will undoubtedly need time to recover from its injuries and consolidate its cultivation after such a recent breakthrough.

However, the rogue cultivator Blazing Fire Path Master remained somewhat apprehensive and could not help but inquire, "Fellow Daoist Lu, with merely eleven of us at the Golden Core Late Stage, our hopes of surrounding and slaying a False Infant Soul Realm Demon Emperor are exceedingly slim."

"I presume Nine Rivers True Lord must have left behind a final, decisive trump card. I wonder what means these might be. We implore you to enlighten us."

Upon hearing this, the other Golden Core Late Stage cultivators present also revealed looks of curiosity, clearly wishing to hear if their companion possessed sufficient understanding of the matter.

"This..."

The cultivator Face River Lu hesitated slightly before shaking his head. "This matter is of grave importance. To prevent any leak of information that might allow the Demon Race to prepare countermeasures, I'm afraid I cannot disclose it to you all in advance." Support the author by reading on https://audio-novel.com.

"You overstate the case, Fellow Daoist,"

one of the Golden Core Late Stage cultivators interjected, his expression turning grave. "We are all cultivators of the Human Race. How could we possibly leak secrets to the Demon Race?"

"Indeed, indeed," another Golden Core Late Stage cultivator chimed in, his gaze equally serious. "If you do not speak, who is to know whether this 'trump card' is an indiscriminate Fifth Rank divine thunder [a powerful, area-of-effect magical attack] or some method of mutual destruction?"

All present wore solemn expressions. Having arduously cultivated to the Golden Core Late Stage, they were figures of esteemed status wherever they went. Naturally, none wished to become cannon fodder for a cause they did not fully understand.

Even Immortal Maiden Willow spoke up, her expression turning slightly grave as she said, "This battle concerns life and death. We implore you, Fellow Daoist, not to conceal anything from us."

"Do not be anxious, young friends."

Just as Face River Lu found himself in a dilemma, unsure whether to advance or retreat, the figure of an old man with a youthful face and hair as white as crane feathers approached.

The moment they saw that figure, the expressions of everyone present grew solemn. They promptly bowed in respect, saying, "We pay our respects to the True Lord [a title for a powerful cultivator who has attained a profound level of mastery]."

"There is no need for such formalities."

The newcomer was none other than Nine Rivers True Lord. Stroking his beard with a smile, he looked at the group and said, "You are all outstanding talents of the Human Race, heroes who will risk your lives in the coming battle. Naturally, I cannot keep you in the dark."

"This old man has indeed prepared two contingencies. The first is the Eight Trigrams Demon Refining Banner [a set of eight enchanted flags used to form a powerful demon-refining formation]. The second is the Metallic Gold Demon-Slaying Sword Talisman [a powerful talisman that unleashes a sword strike potent enough to slay demons]."

After Nine Rivers True Lord finished speaking, Eldrin Chen's eyes flickered slightly. The Metallic Gold Demon-Slaying Sword Talisman was a Great God Ability [a supreme-grade divine ability] treasure talisman. Its power was comparable to a full-force strike from an Infant Soul Early Stage [the initial stage of the Infant Soul cultivation realm] cultivator. If used in a successful ambush, it might truly be able to slay a Demon Emperor [a ruler among demonkind, possessing immense power].

The Eight Trigrams Demon Refining Banner, on the other hand, was a set of Infant Soul Early Stage Formation Flag [enchanted flags used to establish and power a magical formation]. This set comprised eight individual Formation Flag. If jointly activated by a group of Golden Core Late Stage [the advanced stage of the Golden Core cultivation realm] cultivators, the unleashed power would be sufficient to trap an Infant Soul Demon Emperor [a Demon Emperor whose power is equivalent to the Infant Soul cultivation stage], or even temporarily contend with one.

"The power of this Eight Trigrams Demon Refining Banner is extraordinary, and it will require your combined efforts to activate it."

Nine Rivers True Lord spoke as he distributed the Formation Flag to the group, his gaze turning solemn. "These are precious Spiritual Treasure [enchanted artifacts of significant power] I have treasured for many years. Should you use them, take great care not to damage them."

"We understand."

Everyone nodded, their expressions brightening with a hint of joy, feeling their chances of success on this venture had greatly increased.

Observing their reactions, Nine Rivers True Lord added, "To prevent any leak of information, you must all swear an Inner Demon Oath [a binding vow enforced by one's own inner demons, with severe consequences for betrayal]."

"That is only proper."

Each person swore the Inner Demon Oath, then took one of the Formation Flag.

Eldrin Chen noticed that neither he nor Exquisite Jiang had been allotted a Formation Flag. All eight flags had gone to the Golden Core True Person [cultivators who have formed a Golden Core, a solidified mass of spiritual energy] from the Nine Rivers Sea Region.

This outcome, however, was expected. After all, they were both outsiders, newly arrived in the Eastern Sea Cultivation World [the world of cultivators centered around the Eastern Sea]. Naturally, they were not as well-known or trusted as the local Golden Core Cultivator. Continue your cultivation journey at audio-novel.com.