Chapter 499 : The Water Essence Revelation

After an unknowable span of time, Eldrin Chen emerged from his state of enlightenment [a profound meditative trance where one gains deep insights into the Dao].

Seeing his eyes open, Exquisite Jiang asked with delight, "How do you feel?"

"My harvest has been bountiful."

Eldrin Chen offered a slight smile and informed Exquisite Jiang that he had comprehended the Infant Soul chapter of the Heavenly River Positive Water Scripture.

Her eyes brightened upon hearing this, and she said joyfully, "Your Heavenly River Positive Water Scripture has now been perfected up to the Infant Soul Realm. It includes the refinement method for the Lifebound Spiritual Treasure Heavenly River Positive Water Sword, and you've even grasped a water-attribute Great God Ability."

"It can be said this legacy is now exceedingly complete, qualifying as an exceptionally superior Infant Soul inheritance. It is more than sufficient to serve as a foundational pillar for the clan."

Eldrin Chen also smiled. The Five Elements Cultivation Art he pioneered was already one of the clan's foundational treasures, and over the years, many cultivators within the Chen Clan had practiced these five arts.

Now that he had deduced the Infant Soul chapter of this technique, future clan cultivators would no longer need to worry about the lack of subsequent cultivation methods.

Thinking of this, he added with a laugh, "This Great God Ability of mine possesses remarkable utility. It can draw upon the Water Essence Power [the fundamental spiritual power inherent in water] between heaven and earth to restore spiritual energy, and it can also transform into a Water Essence True Aegis to protect oneself. What name do you think it should be given?"

Upon hearing this, Exquisite Jiang pondered briefly before replying, "This Divine Ability of yours possesses two distinct marvelous functions. Strictly speaking, it could be considered two separate Divine Abilities, yet their root lies in the manipulation of Water Essence Power." Find this and other novels at (audio-novel.com).

"Perhaps this Divine Ability could be named 'Whale Devours the Vast Sea' and 'Water Essence True Aegis' separately," he mused, "and when combined, it should be called the 'Returning Abyss Water Control Art'."

"Whale Devours the Vast Sea, Water Essence True Aegis, Returning Abyss Water Control Art…" Eldrin Chen repeated the names, savoring their weight and meaning.

His eyes gleamed with a sudden light, and he said with evident pleasure, "Excellent names."

Contemplating the profound mysteries of this Divine Ability, he turned his gaze to the solitary reef. "This rock is a place that resonates with the vast sea," he observed. "Secluding oneself here would be most conducive to comprehending the Dao of Water."

"Why don't you also meditate upon it? See if you can advance your own Path Fruit [the condensed essence of one's cultivation path] a step further."

"There is no need for haste," Exquisite Jiang shook her head gently. "Although this reef is the finest place for enlightenment, such achievements are not won in a single day or night."

"For me to gain any significant insight would likely require considerable time. It is not too late to return and contemplate it in the future."

"Very well,"

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement. This time, fortune had favored his spirit, granting him a sudden moment of profound enlightenment. Otherwise, his gains would not have been so substantial.

He calculated silently and realized three days had passed in secluded contemplation. Lifting his head, his gaze turned grave as he looked towards the distant silhouette of Garuda Demon Island. "Whether we reap any harvest," he said solemnly, "depends entirely on today."

With those words, Eldrin Chen stepped forth from the reef. Following the water's hidden currents, he located a deep-sea undercurrent buried within the ocean's depths.

The two of them followed the undercurrent in stealth, arriving unknowingly at a seafloor cavern. They swam inside, entering an underground river channel.

"This subterranean river leads directly to the source of the Spiritual Vein beneath Garuda Demon Island. We must proceed with caution," Eldrin Chen said.

Eldrin Chen offered the warning while carefully advancing alongside Exquisite Jiang.

The network of underground rivers branched out like a labyrinth, nearly impossible to navigate. Eldrin Chen calculated their path as he went, following the clues from the Ancient Vast Sea Scroll. They journeyed for several days before finally halting.

By now, the spiritual energy [the vital energy that flows through all living things and the world] within the river had grown incredibly dense. Yet, it was tainted with demonic energy [a corrupt and malevolent form of spiritual power], rendering it unusable for righteous cultivators.

Eldrin Chen understood clearly. The Demonic Cultivator must have placed some kind of Demonic Treasure [an enchanted artifact infused with demonic power] within this Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] to serve as the formation's anchor.

Such an anchor was meant to suppress the Spiritual Treasure [an artifact of pure spiritual power] and Formation Artifact [a specialized artifact used to power or control an array] left behind by the Verdant Void Sect.

"The Spiritual Lake [a body of water saturated with spiritual energy] lies just ahead. The Demonic Cultivator's anchoring Demonic Treasure is likely Extraordinary," Eldrin Chen stated.

"We must end this swiftly. We must seize control of the demonic island's Formation [a structured array that channels energy for defense, attack, or other effects] before the Twin Garuda can react."

Exquisite Jiang nodded, then declared, “I will suppress the Demonic Treasure [an artifact forged and wielded by demonic cultivators]. You must swiftly seize control of the Formation [a structured arrangement of energy nodes used for defense, attack, or cultivation].”

“Understood.”

With their words spoken, the pair could no longer afford to conceal their auras. They immediately surged along the subterranean river and plunged into the heart of the Spiritual Lake [a body of water saturated with dense spiritual energy].

The moment they entered the Spiritual Lake, Eldrin Chen's gaze was drawn to the lake's core. There, a deep azure, ancient-looking small bell bobbed gently, emanating a brilliant, starlike radiance that seemed to pulse with its own inner light.

“A Demonic Treasure forged from Stellar Fragment [shards of condensed stellar essence, prized for their potent energy],”

Eldrin Chen murmured, his eyes gleaming with recognition as he identified the small bell's origin. Find this and other novels at audio-novel.com (official site).

Legends spoke of the vast cosmos beyond their world, where the most common high-grade Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures [rare natural resources imbued with profound spiritual power] were the Nine Heavens Stellar [celestial bodies of immense size and spiritual density]. It was said that shattering just one such stellar body could yield a vast quantity of Stellar Fragment.

Thus, encountering a treasure crafted from Stellar Fragment here was not entirely unexpected to him.

Yet, the ancient bell before them pulsed with an exceptionally potent spiritual aura. By its radiance, it appeared to have been refined using at least three separate Stellar Fragment.

“Now!”

As her words fell, Exquisite Jiang [the Immortal Maiden of the Jiang Clan] acted instantly, forcefully unleashing the Triad Divine Radiance Shield [a defensive technique manifesting three layers of radiant light] to seize and restrain the ancient, unadorned bell.

Yet, this Demonic Treasure [an artifact forged and empowered by demonic arts] possessed extraordinary might. Even with Exquisite Jiang's cultivation fueling it, her power was insufficient to fully suppress the artifact.

Thus, Exquisite Jiang struck again. She summoned forth the Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword [a sword imbued with the power to slay celestial beings] and the Golden Rhino Immortal Sword [a sword as formidable as a mythical golden beast], their combined strikes finally overwhelming the rebellious Demonic Treasure.

Seizing this crucial moment, Eldrin Chen [the patriarch of the Chen Clan] finally utilized the secret arts and command token of the Verdant Void Sect [a renowned cultivation sect] to gain control over the Formation [a complex array of energy channels and symbols] powering this Spirit Island [an island rich in spiritual energy], cutting off the Stellar Small Bell [a bell artifact that channels stellar energies] from its vital spiritual energy supply.

"It is done," he murmured.

With control of the Formation firmly in his grasp, Eldrin Chen felt a slight easing of the tension within.

The Stellar Small Bell was not a Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a treasure personally refined and bound to a cultivator's soul]. Deprived of the sustaining flow of spiritual energy, it could not reignite its power on its own, and its radiant glow swiftly dimmed into obscurity.

Exquisite Jiang swiftly retrieved the now-quiescent Stellar Small Bell, her expression turning grave. "Remain vigilant," she warned, her voice low.

"Understood."

Eldrin Chen gave a firm nod, knowing in his bones that a fierce and bloody battle was now upon them.

While there was still time, he inspected the Formation [a complex arrangement of energy channels and nodes used for defense, offense, or cultivation], discovering it was named the 'Vast Sea Void-Refining Formation'.

This Formation contained two Formation Artifact [core magical treasures that anchor and power a formation]. One was called the Ancient Vast Sea Disk, a Fifth Rank Low-Grade [a specific tier of power for artifacts] formation plate Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact]. The other was named the Void-Refining Furnace, also a lower-grade Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure [a category of artifact exceptionally potent against demonic beings].

Between the two Spiritual Treasure, the Ancient Vast Sea Disk possessed both defensive and suppressive effects. The Void-Refining Furnace, meanwhile, could unleash the Void-Refining Divine Flame [a divine flame capable of refining even the void itself], making it a Demon-Subduing Supreme Treasure of extraordinary destructive power.

"Boom—!"

At that very moment, the Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use demonic or unorthodox methods] on the island finally reacted.

The Twin Garuda [a pair of powerful, bird-like demonic beings] suddenly opened their eyes, charging towards the Spiritual Vein [a concentrated vein of spiritual energy within the earth] core in a fury.

This Twin Garuda pair, one male and one female, were both exceptionally beautiful. The male Garuda, with a hulking physique, roared upon seeing them, "Human Race [the race of humans], how dare you!"

As his voice fell, he hurled a long spear from a distance, aiming to kill.

Exquisite Jiang's eyes flashed. Raising her hand, she summoned the Heavenly Ruins Immortal-Slaying Sword and fearlessly met the attack with a slash.

The female Garuda, her figure alluring, summoned a fiery crimson demonic sword and charged directly at Eldrin Chen, clearly intent on seizing the formation plate from his grasp.

Yet, Eldrin Chen remained utterly unperturbed. With a seemingly casual flick of his wrist, the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword cleaved through the air.

In the span of a lightning flash, dozens of exchanges had already passed between them. It was only then that the fiends and monsters upon Garuda Demon Island finally reacted. A horde of Fiend Race creatures and Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who practice forbidden arts, drawing power from malevolent sources] surged forth to join the fray. Among their ranks were several powerful figures who had reached the Golden Core Realm [the third major stage of cultivation, where one's spiritual energy condenses into a solid, radiant core]. Access the full story on audio-novel`com.