Chapter 498 : A Perilous Journey into Demonic Lands

The two of them spoke no further. They rented a cultivation cave on Demon-Suppressing Island, rested for two days, and then prepared to depart.

Before parting, Eldrin Chen summoned his disciple, Ye Verdant Peak, and spoke with grave solemnity, "This journey your master undertakes is fraught with peril. It would be unwise to bring you along."

"While I am gone, remain within the cave and cultivate diligently. Do not venture out lightly, lest you invite unnecessary trouble."

Ye Verdant Peak nodded upon hearing this, his expression tinged with concern. "Master, if the journey is so dangerous, is there any way this disciple can assist?"

Eldrin Chen smiled faintly and shook his head. "Focus on your cultivation. When your cultivation reaches greater heights in the future, you may indeed lend me your strength."

"This disciple understands," Ye Verdant Peak replied with utmost seriousness.

Having given his instructions to Ye Verdant Peak, Eldrin Chen departed from Demon-Suppressing Island that very day.

The two of them flew towards the Blood God Sea Region. After traversing several million Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], they entered territory controlled by Demonic Cultivator sects.

They cautiously circumvented the various large and small Demonic Cultivator Spirit Island along their route, sticking to remote, uninhabited stretches of sea. On the rare occasion they encountered a Demonic Cultivator, they struck with lethal precision, leaving no survivors.

As the Demon-Slaying Immortal Sword created far too conspicuous a spectacle when flying at full speed, they reduced their pace and rode upon a subtle Escape Radiance, traveling amidst the cloud layers tens of thousands of Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] above. This, inevitably, slowed their progress considerably. Read, share, and discuss at audio‑novel.com.

Traveling in this manner, advancing and halting intermittently while stealthily concealing their auras, it took them over half a year before they finally drew near to Garuda Demon Island.

"Ahead lies Garuda Demon Island," Eldrin Chen murmured, his expression grave as he gazed upon the colossal island spanning hundreds of thousands of Li-lengths.

Beside him, Exquisite Jiang also furrowed her brow. This island was now occupied by the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon [demonic beings from beyond this realm], hosting millions of Fiend Race [a race of malevolent beings] and Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who follow demonic or unorthodox paths].

To seize control of the island's Formation [a complex array or magical construct used for defense, attack, or cultivation], they needed to infiltrate its very heart, the core Spiritual Vein [a subterranean channel of concentrated spiritual energy]. Only there could they activate the contingency left by the Verdant Void Sect and reclaim mastery over the grand Formation.

Yet, slipping past the watchful eyes of countless Demonic Cultivator to reach that control nexus was no simple feat.

Eldrin Chen's brow remained knotted in thought. He observed the island from concealment for over a month before a smile finally touched his lips. "I have a plan," he declared.

"..."

Meanwhile, on a Fifth Rank [a high-tier classification for artifacts, resources, or locations] demonic isle countless Li-lengths away, a man clad in a Blood Robe [a robe steeped in blood essence, often worn by powerful demonic cultivators] opened his eyes.

This was none other than the Young Master of Forgetful River, the very same foe Eldrin Chen had crossed blades with in the Boulder Sea Region.

At this moment, Young Master of Forgetful River's gaze tightened slightly, and he couldn't help but mutter to himself, "That's their aura. Why would they come here?"

"What is it?"

The Black-robed True Lord, who served as Young Master of Forgetful River's guardian, spoke up with a hint of hesitation.

Young Master of Forgetful River furrowed his brow, focusing his senses for a moment. He relayed his detection of the auras belonging to Eldrin Chen and his companion, then added,

"I can sense their presence, yet I cannot divine their precise location."

"Then they must possess an artifact or technique capable of shielding them from Celestial Mechanism [the art of heavenly divination and fate calculation],"

concluded the Black-robed True Lord. He continued, "The Blood Robe Old Demon holds a 'Celestial Mechanism Mirror' [a mirror artifact used for divination and fate-scrying]. It should be able to pinpoint their location."

The Blood Robe Old Demon was a True Lord [a high-ranking cultivator] of the Demonic Path [the demonic cultivation arts] who operated in the nearby sea region, and was also one of the nominal disciples of the Blood God Patriarch.

This Demonic Cultivator [practitioner of demonic arts] possessed profound skills. In his early years, he had seized the Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact] known as the Celestial Mechanism Mirror from a Human Race True Lord. He then corrupted and refined it using Demonic Path methods, transforming it into a Celestial Mechanism Demonic Treasure [a demonic version of the divination mirror].

Considering this, Young Master of Forgetful River sneered coldly, "Go and borrow that Celestial Mechanism Mirror for me. They dared to ruin my plans and now have the audacity to enter our Blood God Sea Region. This young master is determined to eliminate them!"

"..."

Upon a solitary reef beyond the shores of Garuda Demon Island, Eldrin Chen had at last discovered the vital node of the island's defensive Formation [a complex array of energy channels and symbols used for protection or confinement].

Such a vital node, often called the formation's "life-gate," is typically a hidden flaw deliberately woven into the structure by its creator. It serves as a final safeguard, a secret means to dismantle the formation should it ever fall into enemy hands and be turned against its maker.

The predecessor of Garuda Demon Island, Verdant Void Island, was no exception. Its founding patriarch, Vast Sea True Lord, had embedded this very contingency within the island's southeastern corner.

Yet, such secrets are guarded with utmost severity. Within an entire sect, rarely would more than three individuals possess this knowledge.

Eldrin Chen had not been privy to this secret initially. It was only after arriving at Garuda Demon Island and observing its energies for nearly a month that he discerned the subtle clues. He realized the key was hidden not in the land itself, but within the very scripture of Vast Sea True Lord's legacy: the Ancient Vast Sea Scroll.

"This is the place," The story continues at audio-novel`com.

Eldrin Chen murmured, a faint smile touching his lips as he gazed upon the uniquely shaped reef before him.

"The Eastern Facing Reef, where one gazes upon the Boundless Sea, comprehends the meaning of the Vast Ocean, and awakens to the Dao of the Endless Waters."

This passage from the Ancient Vast Sea Scroll revealed the truth. It meant that Vast Sea Patriarch had attained enlightenment upon this very rock, grasping the profound essence of the boundless sea and from it, forged the Ancient Vast Sea Scroll.

When Eldrin Chen located this unique reef, he understood the contingency plan left behind by Vast Sea Patriarch.

With a calm and composed expression, he stepped onto the peculiar rock formation and activated a minor Formation using the method inscribed upon the Ancient Vast Sea Map Scroll.

As the Formation activated, invisible ripples shimmered through the void before them. The sea before their eyes seemed to part, revealing an endless, boundless ocean stretching to the horizon.

Viewed from any other vantage point, this would merely be a magnificent, tempestuous sea, holding nothing particularly extraordinary.

But from atop the reef, Eldrin Chen beheld the intricate circulatory pathways of water essence laid bare before them.

These were the veins of water-essence circulation spanning thousands of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. They could clearly perceive how every strand of Water Essence Power within the Vast Sea flowed, its origin and its destination.

It was the fundamental principle governing this ocean's operation, one of the basic cycles underlying the circulation of all things between heaven and earth.

"So that's how it is,"

Gazing upon the vast expanse, Eldrin Chen murmured to himself. He finally comprehended how Vast Sea Patriarch had managed to gain insight into the power of the boundless sea and achieve a breakthrough into the Infant Soul Late Stage.

This was a place of profound wonder within the world. Even a Golden Core True Person [a cultivator who has condensed their spiritual energy into a Golden Core], if they meditated here for years, contemplating the immense power of the sea, might possibly comprehend a Great God Ability [a supreme divine technique].

Moreover, such places are most conducive to entering a state of sudden enlightenment [a profound, spontaneous insight or breakthrough in cultivation]. Eldrin Chen felt a surge of divine inspiration at that very moment, sensing with an inexplicable certainty that his opportunity had arrived.

"Guard me,"

Eldrin Chen uttered calmly, settling into a meditative posture upon the reef to begin contemplating the boundless power of the vast sea.

It was not long before he slipped into that profound state of enlightenment, feeling as if the infinite mysteries of the ocean were unfolding before his very eyes.

Unconsciously, he advanced one of the Five Elements Cultivation Art, the 'Heavenly River Positive Water Scripture', to the Infant Soul Realm, and further deduced the Spiritual Treasure Chapter of the Heavenly River Positive Water Sword.

Not only that, he also comprehended a water-attribute Great God Ability. This Divine Ability [a supernatural power or technique mastered through cultivation] was an auxiliary Great God Ability capable of devouring the Water Essence Power [the fundamental spiritual power inherent in water] from the world and rapidly converting it into magical power [the internal energy used by cultivators to fuel their arts].

According to Eldrin Chen's estimation, once this Divine Ability was fully mastered, his magical power would become nearly inexhaustible as long as he stood upon rivers, lakes, or seas.

Even atop the Spirit-Severing Sea, he would no longer need to fear the peril of depleted magical power.

Furthermore, this Divine Ability could manipulate the Water Essence Power of the world to form a protective barrier of aqueous energy. When used over the Eastern Sea, its defensive power would even surpass that of the Three Treasures Glazed Armor. Published by audio-novel . com. All rights reserved.