Chapter 581 : A Raid into Demon Territory

"The nearby Ethereal Mistress Ling and Violet Consort Yan and others are currently unable to disengage."

After Eldrin Chen finished speaking, he personally wrote a letter and handed it to Lila, saying, "Take this letter to the Celestial Lake Continent and Qi Nation and deliver it to Patriarch Mo-ink and Path Master Unreal."

"Leave this matter to me."

Lila nodded. Having just broken through to the Infant Soul realm in the Far North Icy Plains, she was indeed the most suitable person to deliver the message.

After Lila departed, Eldrin Chen spoke again. "The demonic forces are not yet aware of our return. This is the perfect moment to catch them off guard."

"I intend to take advantage of the current weak defenses at Violet Jade Lake. I plan to go there first and thoroughly ransack the lair of the Violet Jade Heavenly Python. Let's see how much that pains him."

Upon hearing this, the others felt a stir of anticipation. The recent war had nearly devastated the Vast Sea region. The compensation and aid required after the conflict would be a massive financial burden. A successful raid on Violet Jade Lake would significantly offset those losses.

Considering this, the Old Patriarch nodded, though a trace of worry remained in his voice. "But Violet Jade Lake lies deep within Demon Race territory. Isn't it far too dangerous for you to venture there recklessly?"

"It's of no concern. With the Polarity Void Mirror in hand, even a Demon Emperor at the Great Perfection of Infant Soul would find it difficult to keep us trapped."

As he spoke, Eldrin Chen waved his sleeve, revealing several Spiritual Treasure artifacts. He said calmly, "Our time in the Far North Icy Plains yielded some gains. These treasures are of little use to us now. Please, select from them as you see fit." Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audio‑novel.com.

These several Spiritual Treasures were precisely the treasures he had obtained from the Far North Icy Plains. One was the Primordial Unity Heaven-Splitting Ruler acquired from Soaring Cloud True Lord, while the other three were the Coiling Dragon Staff and the Golden Bracelet Spiritual Treasure.

A flicker of delight crossed their expressions. After a moment of contemplation, the Old Patriarch reached for the Coiling Dragon Staff and declared, "This old man possesses dual Spiritual Roots of Metal and Fire. This artifact suits me best."

Kael Chen took the Primordial Unity Heaven-Splitting Ruler. This Slaughter-aligned Spiritual Treasure, when paired with his Creation Green Duckweed Sword, would significantly augment his offensive capabilities.

However, he did not simply take it. Instead, his eyes glinted thoughtfully as he said, "It so happens my accumulated Merits [a metaphysical "currency" representing good karma or virtuous deeds] within the clan are sufficient. I shall exchange them for this treasure."

Only then did Eldrin Chen understand. The Greenjade Demon Emperor was a trove of precious materials from head to tail. Its Dragon Bone could be refined into a Fifth Rank Treasure Ship or other Treasure Ship; its Inner Pill [the condensed core of a powerful demon or beast, rich in spiritual energy] could be used to concoct Nascent Soul Formation Pills; even its scales were extraordinary items.

After Kael Chen slew the demon emperor, he deposited all these treasures into the Clan Treasury, receiving a substantial sum of Merits in return.

The Old Patriarch smiled at this and turned to Eldrin Chen. "That Greenjade Demon Emperor was the Dao Companion [a cultivation partner, often a spouse] of the Violet Jade Demon Emperor. It possessed a mid-grade Defensive Spiritual Treasure called the 'Azure Mist Veil Canopy'. Since Kael acquired it, he no longer lacks for Defensive Spiritual Treasures."

Beside them, Elara Lin gazed at the Golden Bracelet Spiritual Treasure. She couldn't help but steal a glance at Exquisite Jiang, a hint of desire in her eyes, yet she hesitated to speak, for her own reserve of Merits was insufficient.

Exquisite Jiang remained silent, her gaze shifting meaningfully towards Eldrin Chen.

Understanding the cue, Eldrin Chen promptly handed the Golden Bracelet Spiritual Treasure to Elara Lin. With a gentle smile, he said, "Come to think of it, I never presented you with a congratulatory gift for your breakthrough to the Infant Soul [the Nascent Soul stage, where a cultivator's spirit takes infant form] realm. Consider this a gift from your martial grandfather."

"Thank you, Grandmaster."

Elara Lin accepted the treasure bracelet, a smile naturally gracing her features.

Seeing this, Exquisite Jiang then took out one of the Frost Soul Profound Crystal [a rare crystal imbued with the essence of frost and profound darkness] they had obtained and handed it to her, saying, "We acquired several of these Frost Soul Profound Crystals this time. Take this one to upgrade your Frost Soul Coldlight Sword."

In her early years, the cultivation art Lila practiced was obtained from Elara Lin, so naturally, their Lifebound Spiritual Treasures [magical treasures bound to a cultivator's life force and soul] were also of the same type.

Now that she had acquired the Frost Soul Profound Crystal, she wouldn't even need to deduce the Spiritual Treasure Chapter [the specific method for refining and empowering a spiritual treasure] for this treasure. She could simply borrow it from Lila and proceed with its refinement and advancement.

Watching the group divide up the treasures, Eldrin Chen pondered for a moment before handing the Azure-Gold Ancient Zun [an ancient ritual vessel forged from azure and gold metals] to the Old Patriarch. "This treasure is a special type of Spiritual Treasure," he explained. "Not only is its grade as high as a Medium-Grade Spiritual Treasure [a mid-tier spiritual treasure], but it can also synthesize body-refining elixirs."

"Keep it with you, Old Granduncle, as a hidden trump card."

"A Medium-Grade Spiritual Treasure..."

Eternal Profound Chen did not refuse. He took the Azure-Gold Ancient Zun in hand, caressing it with evident delight and reluctance to let it go.

It had been over twenty years since his breakthrough into the Infant Soul [the Nascent Soul stage, where a cultivator's spiritual core takes infant form]. In all that time, he possessed only a single Lifebound Spiritual Treasure, the 'Golden Light Blazing Fire Sword'. He never imagined that today, he would receive not just one, but two Spiritual Treasures, including a Medium-Grade Spiritual Treasure.

Thinking of this, Eternal Profound Chen said with delight, "With these two Spiritual Treasure in hand, although my spiritual power is still somewhat lacking, my combat prowess should be considered formidable even among those at the Infant Soul Early Stage."

"We can test our mettle in this battle."

Watching their joyful expressions, Eldrin Chen fell into a contemplative silence.

After all, the Violet Jade Heavenly Python was a Infant Soul Late Stage Great Demon. Such an existence was not something an Infant Soul Early Stage cultivator could contend with. Though confident in his own strength, he dared not guarantee he could definitively hold the creature back.

With this in mind, Eldrin Chen spoke up, "Unless absolutely necessary, we should avoid a direct confrontation with the Violet Jade Demon Emperor. Let us first plunder the Violet Jade Lake, then see if they are willing to sit down and negotiate."

Exquisite Jiang also nodded in agreement, then glanced at the others. "You should quickly complete the refinement of these Spiritual Treasure. They may be crucial for preserving our lives at a critical moment." The complete novel can be found at audio-novel.com (official site).

"Understood."

The group stored the Spiritual Treasure and began joyfully setting about the task of refining them.

Meanwhile, Eldrin Chen and Exquisite Jiang quietly teleported to the Verdant Lotus Isle. Upon arrival, they skirted around the Great Kun River, concealed their auras, and began flying towards the Violet Jade Lake.

To avoid alerting the Violet Jade Demon Emperor, they did not even engage the Golden Rhino Demon Emperor along their journey. After flying covertly for over eight hundred thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], they finally reached the outskirts of the Violet Jade Lake.

"There are quite a few demons and monsters within Violet Jade Lake, we must proceed with caution."

Eldrin Chen studied the map, his expression turning grave as he spoke.

Violet Jade Lake spans over six million Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters]. Within it lie two Fifth Rank Spiritual Vein [a vein of concentrated spiritual energy, ranked by potency]. One is named Violet Jade Island, the other Serpent-Scorpion Island.

The Violet Jade Island possesses a Fifth Rank High-Grade Spiritual Vein [a vein of concentrated spiritual energy, ranked by potency], along with an underground Water Vein [a subterranean channel of spiritually-charged water] of the Fifth Rank. Serpent-Scorpion Island, meanwhile, is the territory of the Crimson Serpent Demon Emperor and the Celestial Scorpion Demon Emperor.

Eldrin Chen pondered over the map before him for a moment, then declared, "The Serpent-Scorpion Island lacks a Fifth Rank Mountain Protection Formation [a powerful defensive array]. The Violet Jade Island, however, is guarded by a Fifth Rank Formation [a structured arrangement of energy for defense or other purposes]."

"We'll tackle the easier target first. After securing Serpent-Scorpion Island, we strike immediately to seize Violet Jade Island, then withdraw without delay."

"Agreed."

Exquisite Jiang nodded. The two of them reduced their flight speed and advanced stealthily. After more than ten days of cautious travel, they finally arrived undetected before Serpent-Scorpion Island.

A brief reconnaissance revealed the island was garrisoned by only three Golden Core Demon King [powerful demonic beasts that have condensed a Golden Core, a core of solidified spiritual power], clearly indicating most of its forces had been dispatched to the front lines.

With the defenses so sparse, there was nothing left to discuss. Eldrin Chen immediately commanded, "Begin the assault."

Serpent-Scropion Island was defended by only a single Quasi-Fifth Rank Formation [a defensive array powered by spiritual energy] and lacked an Infant Soul Demon Emperor [a demonic beast equivalent to a human Infant Soul cultivator] to anchor its defenses. Naturally, it could not withstand the assault of the two cultivators.

In the span of a mere dozen breaths, they had forcefully breached the island's perimeter and slaughtered the remaining Demon Race [the collective term for demonic beings] forces, scattering them into a complete rout.

After routing the demons, Eldrin Chen immediately delved deep into the heart of the Spiritual Vein [a concentrated underground flow of spiritual energy] and seized control of its core.

A thorough search of the island yielded one piece of Wood Vein Precious Jade and three stalks of Fifth Rank Spirit Herb [plants imbued with potent spiritual energy]. Among these three herbs, two were Myriad Poison Fruit [a rare fruit containing concentrated toxic essences], while the other was a Tribulation Crossing Flower [a legendary flower said to aid in surviving heavenly tribulations]. This chapter is provided by audio-novel.com (official site). Support the original.