Chapter 380 : The Demon King's Looming Shadow

After a brief tally of the battle's gains, Wei Magnus then looked at the trio of Eldrin Chen and said, "The success of this battle is largely thanks to you three catching them completely off guard."

"Indeed," a silver-robed man named Lucian Ling chimed in. "Had you three not breached the heart of the Spirit Mountain and shattered the Mountain Guardian Grand Formation, this would likely have been a far more grueling fight."

This man, Lucian Ling, was a Golden Core True Person [a cultivator who has formed a Golden Core, a solidified mass of spiritual power] from the Cang Nation Ling Clan.

Following this battle, the prestige of Eldrin Chen and his companions had soared. They were destined to become some of the most radiant stars among the Golden Core True Person of the Ji Continent, earning a measure of respect from every Golden Core True Person present.

The trio offered modest smiles. Yvonne the Violet Consort spoke with calm assurance, "This victory also relied entirely on the Six Heavens Black Prison Pagoda [a powerful enchanted pagoda artifact] from the Ji Clan. Without it, we might have been trapped within that formation ourselves."

"True," Eldrin Chen agreed. "Had we not possessed the Six Heavens Black Prison Pagoda, we would never have dared to teleport directly into the heart of the Demonic Tribe's Spirit Mountain."

Eldrin Chen then furrowed his brow, his tone turning grave. "Although we have driven the Demonic Tribe away for now, the Demon King [a powerful ruler among demonic beasts] will likely realize the truth before long."

"The pressing question now," he continued, "is how should we handle this Void Gemstone Vein [a mineral vein rich in Void Gemstones, a rare spatial-aligned spiritual material]?"

Upon hearing this, the pupils of the assembled Golden Core Ancestor [an honorific title for a senior Golden Core cultivator] constricted slightly, each falling into pensive silence.

The Demon King were no fools. Though startled into retreat now, they would soon uncover the deception. When they did, another great battle was all but inevitable. Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audio-novel . com.

After all, they were deep within the Demonic Tribe Territory [the lands ruled by demonic tribes]. If they delayed for too long, the Demon King [a powerful ruler among demonic beasts] could easily summon a great number of Purple Mansion Great Demon [powerful demons equivalent to the Purple Mansion cultivation stage] to surround and attack them.

Thinking of this, Kunxuzi stroked his beard and said, "This Void Gemstone Vein [a mine producing Void Gemstones, a rare spatial-aligned mineral] lies deep within the Demonic Tribe [a collective term for tribes of demonic cultivators and beasts] heartland. We simply do not have the capacity to hold it for an extended period."

"Our only course now is to gather whatever treasures we can from the Spirit Mountain [a mountain rich in spiritual energy] and then make our retreat."

Upon hearing this, the group all nodded in agreement. Ancestor Mo spoke up and asked, "Then what of this Void Gemstone Vein? How should we deal with it?"

"The vein..."

A glint of seriousness flashed in everyone's eyes. If they left this Void Gemstone Vein for the Demonic Tribe, then within two hundred years, the tribe would be able to re-establish its Teleportation Formation [a magical array capable of instant long-distance travel] network. Furthermore, breaching their defenses next time would be far more difficult.

Yet, to destroy the vein entirely... not only was it questionable if they could accomplish such a feat, but even if they succeeded, it would be an act against the natural order, squandering resources that belonged to the Purple Realm [a term for the mortal cultivation world].

Considering this, Lyra Jiang spoke, "Let us take a middle path. We shall conduct a violent extraction of this Void Gemstone Vein."

"This way, the vein's productivity will be drastically reduced for the next several centuries, yet we will not have utterly destroyed it."

"That is indeed a sound strategy."

Wei Magnus [the patriarch of the Wei Clan] gave a nod, agreeing to this course of action.

The others naturally had no objections, and so they set about violently extracting the ore from this Void Gemstone Vein [a mineral deposit rich in Void Gemstones].

With several dozen Golden Core True Person [cultivators who have reached the Golden Core realm] taking action, they even overturned massive mountains, digging over a thousand Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] deep into the earth in one go and extracting a total of twelve Void Gem [a rare gemstone containing spatial energy].

By the time they finished, a full month had passed. Seeing that the Demonic Tribe [a powerful faction of demonic cultivators and creatures] was already mustering a large force for reinforcements, the group finally withdrew.

For this journey, the group had brought a Treasure Boat [a large, enchanted vessel for travel] of Quasi-Fifth Rank [a grade just below the Fifth Rank]. This vessel could travel over four hundred thousand Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters] in a single day, and it carried them back to the Chu Kingdom in less than a month.

Upon returning to the Chu Kingdom, they immediately contacted the Ji Clan [one of the paramount cultivation clans of the region].

While the spoils of this battle were considerable, the number of Golden Core Cultivator [cultivators at the Golden Core stage] who had contributed was also great. No single individual among them possessed the prestige to distribute the treasures fairly themselves. Only the Ji Clan could handle the matter in a way that would satisfy everyone.

Not long after, an avatar of Feiye Ji [a True Lord of the Ji Clan, also known as Feiye the Night's Bane] arrived at Earth Lion Ridge [a mountain range and stronghold].

On this day, within the Grand Hall [the main assembly hall] of Earth Lion Ridge, several dozen Golden Core True Person were seated, all looking with pleased expressions at the figure of Feiye the Night's Bane before them.

That Feiye Ji glanced at the ledger in his hand, then said with a faint smile, "Your harvest from this battle was not insignificant."

"We owe much to the support of True Lord."

Wei Magnus said with a smile. Had it not been for the Ji Clan holding back the Nascent Soul Demon Emperor and lending treasures like the Six Heavens Black Prison Pagoda, achieving such a great victory in this battle would have been exceedingly difficult.

"From this battle, you have obtained twelve Void Gem [a rare spatial gemstone], along with seven Demonic Beast Inner Core [the condensed energy core of a powerful demonic beast] and over twenty Fourth Rank Magical Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts of the fourth rank]."

"In addition, there are eleven Teleportation Array Disk [a portable disc that can activate a teleportation formation], though several of them have not been retrieved yet."

Everyone's faces lit up with joy. In this battle, they had breached the Void Gemstone Vein [a mine rich in Void Gems]. The spoils included fifteen Fourth Rank Formation Tool [tools used to set up or control fourth-rank formations] alone, not to mention various other treasures.

Feiye Ji spoke calmly, then shifted the topic. "Let us first discuss the compensation for the fallen." Read the full novel exclusively on @udio-novel.com.

"In this battle, the Qi Kingdom lost seven Golden Core [cultivators who have condensed their spiritual energy into a Golden Core, a major milestone]. Five had their physical bodies destroyed, and later in the fighting, one more suffered the same fate."

"I will take charge of refining these Golden Core Formation Pill [a precious pill that aids in forming the Golden Core]. Each fallen Golden Core Cultivator will be compensated with two Golden Core Formation Pill. For those whose bodies were destroyed, our Ji Clan will arrange for them to use the Nirvana Pool [a mystical pool that can regenerate a cultivator's physical form] to reconstruct their flesh."

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement. Having a Fifth Rank Alchemist [a master alchemist of the highest fifth rank] like Feiye Ji refine the Golden Core Formation Pill would naturally result in a far higher Pill Success Rate [the likelihood of successfully creating a pill] than if others attempted it. After distributing the compensation, a significant number of these pills would likely remain.

The effect of the Nirvana Pool is nearly identical to that of the Nirvana Pill [a legendary pill that can restore life or form]. Its creation requires a Fifth Rank Spirit Vein [a location of immense spiritual energy, ranked fifth] as its foundation, combined with vast quantities of rare Spirit Medicine [plants imbued with spiritual energy] and immortal-grade minerals, all fused through a complex alchemical process.

This object can aid cultivators in reconstructing their physical bodies. For Golden Core cultivators and even Nascent Soul Cultivators, it is an exceedingly precious treasure. Only a Top-Tier Immortal Clan like the Ji Clan would be willing to allow outsiders to use their Nirvana Pool [a mystical pool capable of bestowing rebirth or profound healing].

After handling the compensation matters, Feiye Ji spoke again, "Each of your clans shall select a Spirit Mountain [a mountain imbued with potent spiritual energy] within your respective nations, elevate it to the Fourth Rank [a classification denoting a high level of spiritual potency], and then connect the Six Kingdoms using Teleportation Array Disk [a disc-shaped artifact that powers teleportation formations]."

"We understand,"

Everyone nodded in agreement. Establishing Fourth Rank Teleportation Formation [powerful spatial gateways] to link the Six Kingdoms would not only consolidate their combined strength into a unified force but also significantly enhance the prosperity of the entire region.

Furthermore, every Golden Core Cultivator present would hold a stake in this endeavor, so they naturally viewed it with great favor.

Seeing that no one objected, Feiye Ji finally proceeded to distribute the spoils of war.

According to Feiye Ji's final allocation, the Chu Kingdom Cultivation World had contributed the most merit in this battle. Once the Golden Core Formation Pill [a legendary pill that aids in forming a Golden Core] was refined, thirty percent of the remaining yield would be awarded to the Chu Kingdom.

There were still sixteen Void Gem [precious gems containing spatial energy] and Formation Plate [inscribed plates used as components in complex formations]. He allocated six of these to the Chu Kingdom, with the remaining seven distributed among the other nations. After settling these matters, Feiye the Night's Bane took the Demon King Inner Core [the condensed spiritual core of a powerful demonic beast] to begin refining the Golden Core Formation Pill. The other Golden Core True Person then dispersed, each preparing to gather resources to nurture a Fourth Rank Spirit Mountain.

However, the representatives from the Chu Kingdom and Verdant Mountain, including Taiwu the True Person, remained behind in the Grand Hall. They intended to divide their specific shares of the spoils and also discuss plans for nurturing their chosen Spirit Mountain.

"Esteemed colleagues, let us deliberate on the distribution of treasures,"

Eldrin Chen laid out his offerings: six Void Gem [rare gemstones containing spatial energy], several inscribed Formation Plate [pre-carved plates used to set up defensive or offensive arrays], and eight Fourth Rank Magical Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts of the fourth rank].

A wave of delight swept through the assembled cultivators. Sect Master Qian fixed his gaze upon the Void Gem and declared, "Fellow Daoist Chen, our Firmament Sword Sect wishes to claim first priority in acquiring these gems." Original English translation available at *audio-novel.com*.