Chapter 614 : Clash at the Nascent Soul Threshold

"We cannot allow him to complete his breakthrough."

At this critical juncture, Eldrin Chen declared in a resonant voice. He summoned forth the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords and shot through the air, launching a direct assault towards the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor.

The others swiftly grasped the situation. While the probability of the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor successfully advancing was likely not high, should he succeed, they would all face utter annihilation.

Their only recourse now was to take advantage of the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor's vulnerable state, strike him down, and disrupt his breakthrough to avert the impending catastrophe.

With this resolve, they all unleashed their attacks in unison, directing a torrent of power against the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor.

"How dare you!"

In that very instant, the Flame Demon Monarch let out a furious roar. He erupted with a vast and mighty surge of Nascent Soul Qi [the refined spiritual energy of a Nascent Soul realm cultivator] and positioned himself defiantly before the group, unleashing his own overwhelming aura in a counter-offensive.

Having unleashed his Nascent Soul Qi, the Flame Demon Monarch's Mana [the spiritual power used to cast arts and techniques] became immensely profound. Augmented by the seemingly inexhaustible power of the Fire Vein Power, he began unleashing one Great Divine Ability [a supreme and powerful mystical technique] after another as if they cost him nothing, posing a significant threat to the assembled cultivators.

"Seeking death!"

Witnessing the Flame Demon Monarch's rampant, overwhelming aura, Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy cold, radiating murderous intent. "Hold nothing back," he commanded. "Let us slay this beast first." For uninterrupted reading, go to audio-novel[dot]com.

As he spoke, Eldrin Chen unleashed his Nascent Soul Qi [the refined life-force energy of a Nascent Soul cultivator]. In that instant, his Mana [the foundational spiritual power of a cultivator] surged, revealing he had already touched the threshold of the Nascent Soul Late Stage.

Empowered by his formidable Mana, he brought down the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords Union [a supreme sword technique of the separated twin blades] with peerless, annihilating force.

Seeing this, the others understood the immediate priority was to slay the obstacle before them. Holding nothing back, they too erupted with their Nascent Soul Qi and unleashed their most treasured, trump-card techniques in a concerted assault.

Even Thalion Chen and the other two guarding the entrance, seeing the situation, could not afford to hesitate. They immediately rushed over, clutching their Formation Flags [enchanted banners used to control and power formations] to reinforce the suppression.

Although the Flame Demon Monarch possessed powerful Mana, facing fifteen Nascent Soul True Lord [a title for a powerful Nascent Soul stage expert] was more than it could handle. Moreover, the attacking True Lord were no weaklings.

It frantically wielded the Crimson Blood War Spear to parry attacks from several foes and summoned a Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural technique] to block Lyra Jiang's Dual Polarity Divine Thunder.

But before it could catch its breath, Elara Lin's War Treasure Boat activated its own Divine Ability and struck. Meanwhile, Eldrin Chen's Heavenly Separated Twin Swords and his various Spiritual Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts] rained down with relentless, overwhelming force.

Even the formidable defenses of the Crimson Flame Treasure Lotus had their limits. Under the combined assault of over a dozen Spiritual Treasure, its protective barrier was finally and violently shattered.

Seizing the moment the Crimson Flame Treasure Lotus broke, Yvonne the Violet Consort unleashed her Great Divine Ability [a pinnacle-level supernatural technique], the Violet Cosmos Void-Slashing Blade. With a resonant *clang*, she severed one of the Flame Demon Monarch's arms.

"Aaaargh—!"

The Flame Demon Monarch [a powerful demon ruler of fire and destruction], having suffered a sudden and grievous wound, finally revealed a flicker of terror in its eyes. It sought to disengage and flee for its life.

At this critical moment, Old Patriarch and the other two arrived. They activated the Three Origins Demon-Sealing Formation [a powerful formation designed to trap and suppress demonic entities], its light descending to completely seal off its path of retreat.

Seizing this opportunity, Eldrin Chen raised his hand and unleashed the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords [a pair of legendary swords capable of cleaving heaven and earth]. The blades pierced through the demon monarch's chest today, leaving a wound so deep its bottom could not be seen.

By this point in the battle, the Flame Demon Monarch's strength had been depleted by seventy or eighty percent. Any single Nascent Soul, Mid Stage [the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm, a high level of cultivation] cultivator present could have finished it off.

The group gave it no chance to survive. Over a dozen Immortal Sword [swords of immortal grade, possessing immense power] and Spiritual Treasure [powerful enchanted artifacts used by cultivators] soared into the air and slashed down, tearing the demon monarch to pieces on the spot.

After slaying the Flame Demon Monarch, Eldrin Chen took out thirty Heavenly Crystal [a purified, high-density form of spiritual energy crystal] and rapidly absorbed their energy. He restored eighty or ninety percent of the Nascent Soul Qi [the pure, potent spiritual energy of the Nascent Soul realm] within his body. Only then did he turn his gaze towards the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor [the Flame Demon Monarch attempting a breakthrough to the rank of Emperor] who was in the midst of its breakthrough.

"Huummm—"

They saw the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor unleashing an infinite, oppressive aura that weighed upon heaven and earth. A vast, endless torrent of Mana [the spiritual energy used to power spells and cultivation] was surging towards the limits of the Nine Heavens [the nine layered heavens of celestial cosmology]. It was pulling, at any cost, upon the Heavenly Soul [the celestial soul or fate anchored in the firmament, a key component for a supreme breakthrough] anchored within the Firmament [the vault of heaven].

"We must not let it succeed."

Eldrin Chen's gaze turned icy. He immediately summoned forth the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords and launched a decisive strike towards the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor.

However, though the strike of the Heavenly Separated Twin Swords Union was formidable, when it reached a distance of several ten-thousand Zhang-length [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] before the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor, it was forcefully blocked by a layer of crimson-red protective aura.

"It is the Protective True Aura [a powerful defensive technique that forms an impenetrable barrier of condensed spiritual energy]," Lyra Jiang said, her gaze sharpening.

Lyra Jiang's eyes narrowed slightly, a trace of solemnity appearing within them.

The Flame Demon Monarch Emperor was naturally not defenseless prey. At this moment, he had fully unleashed his Nascent Soul Qi [the potent life-force energy of a Nascent Soul cultivator], not only pouring all his effort into drawing down the Heavenly Soul [the celestial component of the soul required for a major breakthrough] but also reserving a sliver of strength to maintain his Protective True Aura.

As an unparalleled existence at the Half-Step Primordial Spirit realm, his Mana [the reservoir of spiritual power within a cultivator] was more than twice as vast as that of a cultivator at the Nascent Soul Great Perfection stage. The Protective True Aura he projected after unleashing his Nascent Soul Qi was, therefore, exceptionally powerful.

To breach such a defensive aura, one must either overwhelm it with a Divine Ability [a supreme mystical technique] or Spiritual Treasure [a potent enchanted artifact] exceeding its defensive limits, or exhaust the opponent's Mana through sustained assault. Original English translation available at audi novel.com.

Yet, the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor's situation was precarious. He was forcibly sustaining his momentum with sheer will. Once that driving force waned, like a mighty dam crumbling from a single ant's nest, his breakthrough would inevitably fail.

Realizing this, Lyra Jiang spoke, "The Flame Demon Monarch Emperor is already halfway through his breakthrough, and his Mana consumption is immense. If he abandons it now, he will suffer severe backlash and grievous wounds."

"If we attack together and shatter his Protective True Aura, his momentum will collapse completely, ensuring his failure."

"Agreed. Then let us hold nothing back."

Tianlu Sect Master declared, producing a Treasure Talisman of a grade as high as Fifth Rank High Grade.

This talisman, named the Tianlu Demon-Slaying Talisman, was a Deep-Seated Foundation treasure hoarded by the Tianlu Sect. It could unleash an attack comparable to a Nascent Soul Great Perfection cultivator's strike. At this moment, to slay this formidable foe, he could no longer afford to hold back.

Seeing this, the others also erupted with their full Nascent Soul Qi, summoning their Spiritual Treasure artifacts and unleashing their Great Divine Ability techniques in a furious, concerted assault.

The Flame Demon Monarch Emperor proved worthy of its Half-Step Primordial Spirit realm. The protective aura and Great Divine Ability it manifested were vastly more powerful than those of a Nascent Soul Great Perfection expert. It managed to withstand the group's relentless onslaught, its defenses remaining unbroken.

As the battle dragged on, the risk of unforeseen complications grew with each passing moment, causing everyone's hearts to clench with anxiety.

"A curse upon it! My Triad Divine Thunder has not yet been cultivated to the Great Perfection Realm," Eldrin Chen muttered through gritted teeth, a bead of sweat tracing a path down his temple.

He could only continue to deploy his Heavenly Separated Twin Swords and channel his Dual Polarity Divine Thunder, launching wave after wave of attacks to deplete the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor's reserves of Mana [the spiritual energy used to fuel magical techniques].

After a relentless assault lasting half a Ke-time [approximately seven and a half minutes], the cultivators felt their own Mana reserves becoming dangerously strained. The Flame Demon Monarch Emperor, too, sensed its Mana waning, its once-impenetrable Protective Aegis now visibly weakened and flickering.

"This cannot continue," the demon emperor thought, a cold realization settling in its core.

In that fleeting moment, the Flame Demon Monarch Emperor found itself truly caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place, with no clear path to victory or retreat.

If he were to continue his breakthrough, his Mana [the spiritual energy used to fuel cultivation and techniques] would be clearly insufficient under the consumption of the group. Although the Fifth Rank High Grade Underground Fire Vein [a subterranean channel of concentrated fire-aspected spiritual energy] possessed an inexhaustible supply of Fire Vein essence to replenish his Mana, its efficacy at his current realm was limited and could no longer keep up with the demand.

Yet, abandoning the breakthrough was also a path to certain doom. In his current state, giving up would inevitably lead to a severe backlash and grievous injury. A gravely wounded him, facing the combined assault of over a dozen Human Race True Lord [a title for powerful human cultivators], would find his fate uncertain at best.

Even the most favorable outcome would likely be a bloody, arduous ascent, leaving behind Dao wounds [injuries to one's cultivation foundation that are difficult or impossible to heal] that could never be fully cured, forever confining him to the realm of a Half-Step Dao Lord [a cultivator who has partially stepped into the Dao Lord realm but not fully stabilized there]. Support the author by reading on *audio-novel.com*.