Chapter 591 : Forging the Demon-Subduing Sword

"However, at present, Dorian Ji has broken through to the Primordial Spirit [the highest spiritual core of a cultivator] realm, while this Emperor's physical body has not yet been fully reconstructed. I no longer possess the strength to oppose the Ji Clan."

"The only viable strategy now is to see if Dorian Ji will perish within the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a great calamity originating from the depths of the demonic realm]. Otherwise, we still cannot move against the Ji Clan lightly."

The Golden Flood Dragon Demon Emperor nodded, then inquired, "And what of our reply to the Purple Jade Lake [a mystical lake domain]?"

"For now, we shall feign compliance and bide our time," said the Green Flood Dragon Demon Emperor, a cold sneer in his gaze. "Once this Emperor's physical form is restored, subduing him will be a simple matter."

Eldrin Chen remained unaware of the recent interactions between Purple Jade Lake and Azure Wave Lake [a vast lake known for its azure waters].

Having signed a three-hundred-year non-aggression pact with the Purple Jade Demon Emperor, he settled in to peacefully digest the gains from his journey.

At that moment, he was in the midst of refining the Thousand-Demon Slaying Sword. Not long before, the Underground Fire Vein [a subterranean channel of potent spiritual fire] beneath Purple Jade Lake had been successfully repaired and ascended in grade. Furthermore, the Bloodthirsty Sword and Soul-Devouring Spear had been completely purified of their Demonic Qi [the corrupt spiritual energy used by demonic cultivators], yielding a mass of Fifth Rank Treasure Metal [a precious metal of the fifth rank, suitable for crafting high-grade artifacts].

Seizing this opportunity, Eldrin Chen used the Treasure Metal to elevate the Thousand-Demon Slaying Sword, advancing this Immortal Sword [a sword of immortal grade] to the level of a Demon-Subduing Immortal Sword [an immortal sword specifically honed to vanquish demons]. His current task was to perform a new round of refinement to fully subdue the lingering demonic aura within the Thousand-Demon Slaying Sword.

After successfully completing the refinement of the Immortal Sword, Eldrin Chen emerged from his Seclusion Chamber [a chamber used for secluded cultivation].

Lila had been standing guard outside the Cultivation Cave [a cave dwelling used for cultivation]. Seeing him exit the Seclusion Chamber, she could not help but ask, "How did it go?" Your portal to cultivation novels: audio–novel.com.

"Merely a demonic sword [a blade tainted or empowered by demonic energy]. Subduing it should not prove difficult."

Eldrin Chen spoke with calm detachment, then could not help but ask, "And Lyra?"

"She is processing the hide of the Golden Rhinoceros Demon Emperor," Lila replied, adding, "She mentioned she intends to refine some talisman paper [special paper imbued with spiritual energy for crafting talismans] to craft Fifth Rank Spirit Talisman [enchanted paper slips inscribed with powerful seals or spells]."

Eldrin Chen gave a nod. This battle had also yielded the corporeal remains of several Demon Emperor [powerful rulers of demonic races], and there was still much to process.

He emerged from the Seclusion Chamber [a chamber designed for undisturbed meditation and cultivation] and soon found Lyra Jiang. At that moment, Lyra Jiang was refining talisman paper, with Elara Lin and Silas Chen assisting her.

Upon seeing Eldrin Chen, Lyra Jiang said, "Your timing is perfect. Come lend a hand."

The hide of the Golden Flood Dragon Demon Emperor spanned a thousand Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters]. The group channeled their True Flame [a pure, potent flame cultivated within a practitioner's core] to refine it, extracting its essence until they had produced a single sheet of talisman paper measuring one Chi-length [one Chi-length equals one third of a meter] square.

This sheet could be cut into nine pieces, sufficient to inscribe nine Fifth Rank Low Grade Spirit Talisman.

After finishing with the talisman paper, Eldrin Chen looked at the skeletal remains of the Golden Rhinoceros Demon Emperor and said, "This time, we slew two Demon Emperor—the Verdant Jade Demon Emperor and the Golden Rhinoceros Demon Emperor—and also obtained the corpse of the Crimson Serpent Demon Emperor. How do you propose we handle them?"

"The bones of the Verdant Jade Demon Emperor and the Golden Rhinoceros Demon Emperor are key materials for forging a Fifth Rank Treasure Boat [a high-grade enchanted vessel] or other Treasure Boat [enchanted vessels used for travel or combat]. As for the flesh of the Crimson Serpent Demon Emperor, it is one of the most venomous substances under heaven. I fear it may have limited practical use."

Lyra Jiang [the female cultivator and wife of Eldrin Chen] spoke with serene detachment, then added, "The clan's output of spiritual wood is insufficient. At most, we can only refine one more large treasure ship."

Upon hearing this, the others nodded in agreement.

The Chen Clan currently possesses only a single Fifth Rank Wood Vein [a spiritual energy vein of the fifth rank that produces wood-attributed spiritual energy and materials] on the Azure Lotus Continent, and the spiritual wood it yields is only sufficient to refine one treasure ship every five hundred years. Even accounting for the Chen Clan's continuous purchases and the output from The Vast Sea, it still takes two hundred years to gather enough for one vessel.

The Crimson Dragon Ship [a powerful magical treasure in the form of a ship] currently being forged within the Clan Treasury will require more than one Jiazi-time [a cycle of sixty years] to complete. It seems we will be unable to utilize these two Demon Emperor [a ruler among demonic beasts, equivalent to a human cultivator's Nascent Soul realm] skeletons for quite some time.

Considering this, Eldrin Chen offered a faint smile. "The Golden Rhinoceros Demon Emperor was not swift, but its defenses were formidable. Its dragon bone [the primary skeletal structure of a powerful draconic creature] can be used to forge a Fifth Rank Treasure Boat [a magical treasure ship of the fifth rank] with exceptional defensive capabilities."

"As for the Verdant Jade Demon Emperor, since we lack a Fifth Rank [the fifth major realm in the cultivation system] Treasure Boat, we shall use its bones to forge a Spirit Boat [a vessel powered by and constructed from spiritual materials, typically of a lower grade than a Treasure Boat] instead."

"That is an excellent plan."

Lyra Jiang nodded, approving of the decision.

High-grade Treasure Boat are supreme treasures for preserving one's life and pursuing enemies. They are also the optimal choice for long-distance travel, so it was only natural for the two of them to desire crafting one.

Once the decision was made, they immediately set to work forging the Treasure Boat. To craft this vessel, Eldrin Chen not only consumed the dragon bone of the Verdant Jade Demon Emperor, but also the clan's sole mature Fifth Rank spiritual wood.

This spiritual tree is named Phoenix Feather Wood [a rare spiritual wood said to be descended from the legendary Phoenix Roost Wood]. It is said that the Phoenix Feather Wood is an offshoot of the Acquired Spiritual Root [a spiritual root formed through natural processes rather than innate endowment] known as the 'Phoenix Roost Wood' [the legendary wood upon which the immortal phoenix is said to perch]. That Phoenix Roost Wood is a treasure even the immortal phoenix avian finds rare, and it is said many Immortal [beings who have ascended to the highest realm of cultivation] covet it but cannot obtain it.

The current Phoenix Feather Wood is far inferior to the Phoenix Roost Wood, yet it still possesses a measure of its divine wonder, making it an exceptional material for crafting a Treasure Boat [a flying vessel used by cultivators for travel and combat].

Back when Eldrin Chen vanquished the Qin Clan, he obtained this material and intended to use it to forge the Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact] named 'Star-Gazing Tower'. However, as he currently lacked sufficient Star Fragment [fragments of celestial bodies imbued with stellar energy], he decided to first use it to craft this Treasure Boat instead.

With two precious Fifth Rank [a tier of power equivalent to the Nascent Soul realm] materials in hand, Eldrin Chen proceeded with utmost caution in forging this Treasure Boat. The entire process consumed a full seven years before this Treasure Boat was finally successfully completed.

"It is done."

Gazing upon the completed Treasure Boat before him, Eldrin Chen could not help but reveal a look of pleasant surprise. Find this and other novels at audi0-n0vel.c0m.

This Treasure Boat has reached the impressive grade of Fifth Rank Middle Grade [the middle tier within the Fifth Rank/Nascent Soul realm], making it a Middle-Grade Spiritual Treasure Grade Treasure Boat. Upon its hull, they have inscribed a total of three sets of Formation [magical arrays that channel energy for specific effects].

The first Formation is named the Verdant Jade Divine Aegis [a defensive formation]. This Formation can push the Lifebound Divine Ability [an innate supernatural power] contained within the Demon Emperor [a ruler among demonic beings] dragon bone to its absolute limit. When activated at full power, it can withstand even three direct assaults from a Nascent Soul Late Stage [a cultivator in the final phase of the Nascent Soul realm] powerhouse.

The second Formation is named the Phoenix Feather Ascension Formation. It can fully unleash the divine wonder of the Phoenix Feather Wood, enabling the vessel to execute the Divine Ability [a supernatural technique] known as Phoenix Feather Ascension Escape [an escape technique of incredible speed]. At its maximum velocity, its speed would likely leave even a Late Nascent Soul Grand Cultivator [a supreme expert at the peak of the Nascent Soul realm] far behind, unable to catch up.

The final set of Formation is the Source-Gathering Formation [a formation that gathers and stores ambient spiritual energy]. Once this formation is fully charged with spiritual energy, it is sufficient to allow the Treasure Boat to traverse hundreds of millions of Ten-Thousand-Mile Territory [a vast distance of ten thousand Li-lengths], flying across the expanse of distant and vast domains.

It could be said that this vessel sacrificed offensive Formation [a structured arrangement of energy or objects for a specific purpose], yet whether in terms of flight speed, defensive power, or operational endurance, it ranks among the finest within the category of Fifth Rank Middle Grade [a specific tier of power and refinement for artifacts] Treasure Boat [an enchanted flying vessel].

Eldrin Chen caressed the Treasure Boat with an almost possessive fondness, unable to contain his joy as he asked Lyra Jiang, "What name should we bestow upon it?"

Lyra Jiang pondered for a moment before replying, "Since it was forged from the bones of the Verdant Jade Demon Emperor and the Phoenix Feather Wood [a legendary wood imbued with the essence of the phoenix], let us call it the Verdant Jade Phoenix Feather Ship."

"The Verdant Jade Phoenix Feather Ship—a fine name indeed," Eldrin Chen repeated, his face alight with pleasure. "The Celestial Crane Treasure Boat was merely Quasi-Fifth Rank [approaching but not fully at the Fifth Rank]; its time for retirement has come."

"We shall leave it for Old Granduncle then."

After boarding the newly named Verdant Jade Phoenix Feather Ship, Eldrin Chen departed from the Artificer's Workshop [a specialized forge for crafting magical artifacts]. Upon inquiry, he learned that the Old Patriarch was currently at The Vast Sea.

He delivered the Celestial Crane Treasure Boat to The Vast Sea and personally handed it over to Thalion Chen, then inquired, "Wasn't it Kael, our clan brother, who was stationed here at The Vast Sea? Why are you here in his stead?"

"He left the clan some time ago, intending to journey deep into the Eastern Wastelands [a vast and perilous wilderness region]."

Thalion Chen explained with a smile. It seemed that Kael Chen, feeling more at ease after the pact was solidified with Purple Jade Lake, had decided to embark on a journey through the Eastern Wastelands. He also wished to see the Eastern Sea Cultivation World [the cultivation society centered around the Eastern Sea] for himself.

Eldrin Chen nodded in understanding. This marked Kael Chen's first venture far from the fringes of the Ji Continent, a step into the vaster, wider world beyond. This chapter is part of a larger work available at audio–novel.com.