Chapter 580 : The Silent Return of the Patriarch

It turned out that after Eldrin Chen departed, the news gradually spread and eventually reached the ears of the demonic beasts.

At first, the demonic beasts made no move. It was only a decade ago, when it became clear that Eldrin Chen had not returned, that Violet Jade Lake, which borders the Vast Sea, launched a beast tide.

Initially, both sides exercised restraint, and the intensity of the beast tide remained below the Infant Soul level. However, the situation escalated completely when Kael Chen, consumed by battle fury, slew a Demon Emperor from Violet Jade Lake.

This battle has raged for a full decade, plunging the Vast Sea into a great calamity. To date, the Heavenly Ruins Alliance has lost over forty Golden Core Cultivators, with the Chen Clan alone mourning the fall of four of its Golden Core True Persons.

To resist Violet Jade Lake, a large number of cultivators from the Chen Clan had to be dispatched to the Vast Sea. Even the clan's three Infant Soul Patriarchs have been stationed there for many years.

"Violet Jade Lake,"

Eldrin Chen drew a deep breath and spoke directly, "Seal the news of our return immediately. No one is to act rashly."

"Understood."

The Violet Sanctum Cultivator from the Chen Clan nodded promptly and isolated the low-ranking clan members responsible for guarding the Teleportation Formation.

After settling his two disciples, Lila and the other, at Green Chariot Mountain, the group did not linger. They immediately used the Teleportation Formation to reach Immortal Apricot Island and discreetly sought out the Old Patriarch. Official source: audio_novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.

"You have finally returned."

Seeing their return, Eternal Profound Chen immediately grasped Eldrin Chen's hand with emotion, then nodded at Lila and said, "Good, good, good. You have also broken through to the Infant Soul Realm [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul is formed]. It seems we can finally launch our counterattack in this war."

"Let us gather everyone first."

Without further ado, Eldrin Chen immediately went to the Great Hall and sent word to summon Elara Lin and Kael Chen.

Within the Great Hall, six individuals sat facing each other: Eldrin Chen, Exquisite Jiang, Lila, Old Granduncle, Kael Chen, and Elara Lin.

Seeing everyone present, Eldrin Chen activated a Formation [a mystical array or barrier] to seal the hall from inside and out. Only then did he frown and ask, "What exactly happened in this battle?"

It was no wonder Eldrin Chen was surprised, for this battle had unfolded outside his expectations.

According to his predictions, Dorian Ji was still in seclusion consolidating his cultivation and had not left the lands of Ji Continent. Logically, the forces of Violet Jade Lake should not have risked attacking Vast Sea.

Furthermore, after Eldrin Chen's departure, the strength of the Chen Clan was somewhat insufficient; they should not have taken the initiative against the demonic cultivators. Therefore, escalating to a large-scale battle at the Infant Soul level was disadvantageous for both sides.

At his words, the expressions of those present darkened slightly. After a moment, Kael Chen spoke up, "The fault for this matter lies with me."

"Had I not slain that Greenjade Demon Emperor [the ruler of the jade serpent demon clan], I would not have provoked the full wrath of the Violet Jade Demon Emperor [the sovereign of the violet jade serpent demon clan]."

Upon hearing this, Eldrin Chen [the protagonist, a powerful cultivator] furrowed his brow slightly. Before he could voice his question, the Old Patriarch [the venerable leader of the Chen Clan] spoke again. "This conflict was not solely Kael's [Eldrin's clan brother] fault. Star Grace Meng [a cultivator from the allied Meng Clan] fell by the hand of the Greenjade Demon Emperor, so Kael's righteous fury was to be expected."

"Star Grace Meng?"

A flicker of surprise and recollection passed through Eldrin Chen's mind.

The Meng Clan [a cultivation clan allied by marriage to the Chen Clan] and the Chen Clan had been intermarrying for generations. Eldrin vaguely recalled first meeting Star Grace Meng at his own Foundation Establishment [the second major realm of cultivation] celebration banquet. At that time, the Clan Patriarch of the Meng Clan had even attempted to arrange a match between them.

However, Eldrin Chen had felt no particular inclination towards Star Grace Meng, and the matter was quietly dropped.

It was said that in his youth, Kael Chen had harbored feelings for Star Grace Meng, though she had gently declined his advances. Who could have guessed that this unrequited affection, after centuries, would still bind his heart?

The sequence of events, as Eldrin understood it, began when the forces of Violet Jade Lake [the domain of the Violet Jade Demon Emperor] sought to encroach upon the Vast Sea [a region under the Chen Clan's influence]. Star Grace Meng met her end amidst the ensuing chaos. Driven by a lover's rage, Kael Chen had then forced a confrontation and slain the Greenjade Serpent.

After listening, Eldrin Chen let out a soft, internal sigh before asking, "What is the current situation, then?"

"Allow me to explain," the Old Patriarch said.

Old Patriarch began to speak, recounting the current situation in detail.

Five years ago, after the fall of the Greenjade Demon Emperor, the master of Violet Jade Lake, the Violet Jade Heavenly Python, flew into a complete rage. It marshaled the entire strength of Violet Jade Lake in an attempt to slay Kael Chen and avenge the Greenjade Demon Emperor.

Now, nearly half of the Vast Sea has been breached by Violet Jade Lake, and most of the Human Race have retreated to the territories behind Immortal Apricot Island.

Not only that, but the area beyond Immortal Apricot Island is now completely besieged by the Violet Jade Demon Emperor. The two sides have been locked in fierce battle here for over three years.

Mentioning this, the Old Patriarch said with a bitter smile, "That Violet Jade Lake has five Demon Emperor [powerful rulers of demon clans]: the Violet Jade Demon Emperor, the Greenjade Demon Emperor, the Crimson Serpent Demon Emperor, the Golden Rhino Demon Emperor, and that Celestial Scorpion Demon Emperor."

"The Greenjade Demon Emperor was slain by Kael, the Golden Rhino Demon Emperor is blocking the path before Violet Consort Mountain, and the remaining three are all besieging us here at Immortal Apricot Island." This content originates from audio-novel dot com. Please respect copyright.

Eldrin Chen pondered silently, beginning to calculate the forces on both sides.

Among the several Demon Emperor, the Violet Jade Demon Emperor is a great Demon Emperor at the Infant Soul Late Stage [the penultimate major stage of the Infant Soul cultivation realm]. Its strength is unfathomably deep; even Eldrin Chen has no confidence in facing it alone. He would need to join forces with Exquisite Jiang to have a chance.

The crimson Demon Emperor is also at the Infant Soul Mid Stage [the middle stage of the Infant Soul cultivation realm], which Kael Chen should be capable of handling. The remaining Demon Emperor could be held off by the members of the Chen Clan.

Thinking this to himself, Eldrin Chen shook his head once more. Given the strength of Azure Wave Lake [a demonic territory], even if they fought with all their might and could resist the enemy, their chances of achieving a decisive victory were slim.

Moreover, if they were to fully unleash the True Flame [a potent spiritual fire], it would inevitably lead to the fall of a True Lord [a powerful cultivator at the True Lord realm]. The loss of any one of the Chen Clan's several True Lord would be a devastating blow to Eldrin Chen, a price he was naturally unwilling to pay for such a desperate Exchange Move [a sacrificial tactic].

Furthermore, even if they managed to hold Immortal Apricot Island until the very end, reclaiming the half of the Vast Sea would likely be impossible. Violet Jade Lake possessed an Infant Soul Late Stage [a cultivator at the late stage of the Infant Soul realm] Demon Emperor [a ruler of demonkind], a foe far beyond their ability to handle easily.

And the Vast Sea was the Chen Clan's primary source of Spirit Stone [a mineral that stores and radiates spiritual energy] and Five Elements Essence [a refined spiritual essence containing the power of the five elements]. Losing it would mean the Chen Nation alone could never sustain the cultivation needs of the clan's six True Lord.

Having considered this, Eldrin Chen asked, "How much longer can Immortal Apricot Island hold out?"

"The spiritual energy within the Spiritual Vein [a natural conduit of concentrated spiritual energy] has long been insufficient. We are currently using Spirit Stones to replenish it,"

Eternal Profound Chen replied. After calculating their supplies, he added with a bitter smile, "Our stockpiled Spirit Stones can last for two more years at most. After that, we'll have no choice but to sell off various assets to exchange for more stones to keep the defenses running."

"And that's assuming the enemy maintains their current level of assault. If Violet Jade Lake decides to press the attack regardless of casualties, we likely won't last long at all."

He continued, his tone resigned, "This time, Violet Jade Lake is serious. Not only are they attacking us here, but they've also enlisted several Demon Emperor to pin down our allies, preventing them from sending aid."

"Fortunately, your return now means our combined strength should be enough to defend Immortal Apricot Island."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, however. "Merely defending is not enough," he stated firmly. "We must not only hold Immortal Apricot Island, but also force Violet Jade Lake to withdraw their forces and compel them to sign a treaty with us."

As he spoke, a flicker of killing intent flashed within his gaze.

Seeing this, Exquisite Jiang who stood nearby could not help but ask, "What do you mean?"

"Mm."

Eldrin Chen nodded, his expression calm and composed as he replied.

"Strike the enemy's vital points. Only by making them feel the pain will they learn to fear us and thus dare not act recklessly." This novel is serialized on audio-novel.com (official site). Visit for updates.