Chapter 614 Critical Moment

We cannot allow him to successfully break through.

At the critical moment, Eldrin declared in a resonant voice, summoning the Heaven-Sundering Twin Swords as they sliced through the void toward the Demon Emperor of Flames.

The others quickly grasped the gravity of the situation. Though the probability of the Flame Demon Monarch achieving a breakthrough seemed relatively low, should he succeed, they would likely face utter annihilation.

The only course of action now was to strike the Flame Demon Monarch while he was unable to defend himself, dealing a heavy blow to disrupt his breakthrough and resolve the current crisis.

With this single thought, everyone immediately took action, launching their attacks directly at the Infernal Demon Sovereign.

"You dare."

In that very instant, the Infernal Demon Lord suddenly roared furiously, unleashing a torrential surge of Nascent Soul Qi (Spiritual Root). He forcefully positioned himself before the crowd, his overwhelming aura surging forth to strike them down.

After the Inferno Fiend Monarch unleashed his Nascent Soul Qi (Spiritual Root), his spiritual power had become immensely profound. Coupled with the inexhaustible power of the fire vein, he continuously unleashed grand divine abilities 1 after another as if they cost nothing, causing significant trouble for the group.

"You're courting death!"

Seeing the Infernal Demon Lord’s overwhelming arrogance, Eldrin’s gaze turned icy as he declared with murderous intent, “Do not hold back, everyone. Let us slay this fiend first.”

Eldrin declared, unleashing his Nascent Soul Qi. In that instant, his spiritual power surged to the very threshold of the late Nascent Soul stage.

With formidable magical power at his command, the Heaven-Sundering Halberd descended with an unstoppable, slaughterous might.

Seeing this, the others also understood that their immediate priority was to eliminate the obstructing individual before them. Without holding back, they simultaneously unleashed their Nascent Soul Qi (Spiritual Root) and unleashed their most formidable techniques to strike.

Even Chen Changxuan and the other 2 guarding the entrance could no longer attend to other matters upon witnessing this. They hastily seized their formation flags and rushed over to suppress the disturbance.

Though the Inferno Fiend Monarch possessed formidable magical power, facing 15 Nascent Soul Elders was hardly a challenge—especially since none of the attacking Elders were weaklings.

In the interim, it drove the Crimsonblood War Spear to parry attacks from several adversaries in succession, while also unleashing a divine ability to block Lyra’s Dual Polarity Divine Thunder.

But before he could catch his breath, Elara's war treasure vessel unleashed its divine abilities in a fierce assault, while Eldrin's Celestial Parting Twin Swords and various other spiritual treasures descended with overwhelming force, ceaselessly raining down destruction.

Even the Crimson Flame Qi (Spiritual Root) Treasure Lotus had its limits. After enduring simultaneous assaults from a dozen or so spiritual treasures, its defenses were ultimately shattered.

As the Crimson Flame Qi (Spiritual Root) Treasure Lotus was breached, Yan Ziji seized the moment to unleash her supreme technique—the Violet Cosmos Severing Void Blade. With a metallic shriek, she cleanly severed 1 of the Infernal Demon Monarch's arms.

"Ah—"

The Infernal Demon Monarch, suddenly dealt a heavy blow, finally revealed a trace of fear and immediately attempted to flee for his life.

At the critical moment, the Old Patriarch and 2 others arrived, activating the Triple Element Demon-Sealing Array to shine down and completely seal off his escape route.

Seizing the opportunity, Eldrin raised his hand and flicked his wrist. The Heaven-Sundering Twin Swords pierced through his chest today, leaving behind a wound as deep and fathomless as an abyss.

By this point in the great battle, the Infernal Demon Lord's strength had already diminished by 70 to 80 percent. Any Nascent Soul, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm) cultivator could have slain him by now.

The crowd showed no mercy, with a dozen or so immortal swords and spiritual treasures soaring through the air to strike down, tearing him to shreds on the spot.

After slaying the Eldrin King, Eldrin took out 30 Heavenly Crystals and rapidly absorbed their energy, restoring 80 to 90 percent of the Nascent Soul Qi within him. Only then did he turn his gaze toward the Eldrin Emperor who was in the midst of his breakthrough.

"Bzzz—"

Behold, the Infernal Demon Monarch's boundless aura oppressed heaven and earth, his vast and endless magical power surged toward the highest heavens, desperately pulling at the Celestial Soul in the firmament at any cost.

"He must not be allowed to succeed."

Eldrin's gaze turned icy as he immediately summoned the Heaven-Severing Twin Swords, slashing directly toward the Infernal Demon Sovereign.

However, the combined strike of Heaven and Earth, despite its immense power, was abruptly halted several tens of thousands of feet before reaching the Flame Demon Monarch by a barrier of crimson vital energy.

"It's a protective true barrier."

Lyra's gaze sharpened slightly, a trace of solemnity flashing in her eyes.

The Infernal Demon Sovereign was by no means defenseless prey. At this critical moment, he fully unleashed his Nascent Soul Qi (Spiritual Root), not only channeling all his power to summon the Heavenly Soul, but also reserving a fraction of his strength to erect a protective True Qi barrier around himself.

Such a supreme existence at the Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) possessed spiritual power more than twice as profound as a Great Perfection Nascent Soul cultivator. The protective true energy unleashed after erupting with Nascent Soul Qi (Spiritual Root) naturally manifested with incomparable might.

To breach such a protective aegis, 1 must either strike with divine abilities or spiritual treasures that surpass its defensive threshold, or gradually deplete the caster's mana through sustained assault.

But at this moment, the Flame Demon Monarch's situation looked grim. He was merely sustaining his momentum through sheer force of will. Once this driving energy waned, then just as a long dike can collapse from a single ant hole, the Flame Demon Monarch would certainly fail in his breakthrough.

At this thought, Lyra spoke: "The Infernal Demon Sovereign has already broken through halfway, and his mana consumption is immense. If he abandons the breakthrough now, he will inevitably suffer backlash and sustain grievous injuries."

"Let us strike together! Once we shatter his protective true energy, his momentum will completely dissipate, and his breakthrough is certain to fail."

"Very well, let us hold nothing back."

The Sect Master of Tianlu spoke as he produced a treasure talisman of a remarkably high grade—a top-tier, fifth-rank treasure.

This talisman, known as the Sky Abode Demon-Slaying Talisman, was 1 of the treasured foundational assets of the Sky Abode Sect. It could unleash an attack comparable to that of a Great Perfection Golden Core cultivator. At this moment, to slay this formidable foe, he could no longer afford to hold back.

Seeing this, the others also unleashed their Nascent Soul Qi (Spiritual Root) in full fury, summoning their spiritual treasures and unleashing mighty divine abilities to launch a ferocious assault.

The Infernal Demon Monarch truly lived up to his Half-Step Primordial Spirit (Cultivation Realm) status. The protective barrier he summoned, combined with his formidable divine abilities, far surpassed the power of a Great Perfection Golden Core cultivator. Remarkably, it withstood wave after wave of assaults from the entire group, remaining unbroken despite their relentless onslaught.

As the delay dragged on, the more variables would arise, making everyone inwardly break out in a cold sweat.

"Alas, my Trinity Divine Thunder has yet to reach the Great Perfection realm."

Eldrin gritted his teeth, sweat beading on his forehead, and could only summon the Celestial Li Swords while unleashing the Dual Polarity Divine Thunder in relentless assaults, depleting the Demon Flame Monarch's mana.

After attacking continuously for half an hour, everyone felt their spiritual energy depleting at an unsustainable rate. Even the Flame Demon Monarch sensed his own power waning, his protective energy barrier growing noticeably dimmer.

"This cannot go on any longer."

In that fleeting moment, a thought flashed through the Infernal Demon Monarch's mind—he was truly caught between a rock and a hard place.

If he continued to break through, his spiritual energy was clearly insufficient under the collective consumption. Although the fifth-tier, upper-grade subterranean fire vein possessed boundless fire-essence energy to replenish his power, at his current realm, its effects had become limited and were already beginning to fall short.

However, abandoning the breakthrough was also a path to certain death. In his current state, giving up would inevitably lead to severe backlash and grievous injuries. Once wounded, facing a dozen or so Human True Monarchs in such a condition would make his fate uncertain.

In that case, even the best possible outcome would likely involve a grueling battle to advance, leaving behind incurable Dao injuries that would forever trap 1 at the half-step Dao Monarch realm.

Chapter 1: The Reborn Cultivator The biting cold pierced deep into the bones. Lin Xuan shuddered violently, his consciousness abruptly pulling free from endless darkness. He opened his eyes to find himself lying in a simple yet clean wooden hut. The morning light streamed through the window, casting mottled shadows on the coarse cotton quilt covering him. "This is... where am I?" Memories flooded his mind like fragmented scenes—he was Lin Xuan, an outer sect disciple of the Green Cloud Sect. During yesterday’s spiritual herb gathering, he had been ambushed by his rival Zhang Hu and pushed off a cliff... But these weren’t his only memories. Another set of recollections surged within him: he was the Alchemy Emperor of the Profound Heaven Realm, a supreme expert at the Great Perfection stage of the Nascent Soul realm. While refining the 9 Revolutions Soul Return Pill, he had suffered a backlash of spiritual energy and perished... The 2 sets of memories intertwined, merging into 1. "So, I’ve been reborn?" Lin Xuan murmured to himself, a complex light flashing in his eyes. He sat up and examined his body—multiple fractures, damaged meridians, his cultivation base completely destroyed. This was undoubtedly a fatal injury for any ordinary person. But now, he was no longer the same Lin Xuan. "Zhang Hu... Green Cloud Sect..." A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth. "Since I’ve taken over this body, I shall avenge your grievances." He closed his eyes and began to inspect his condition. The spiritual energy in this world was surprisingly abundant, far richer than in the Profound Heaven Realm. However, the cultivation techniques here were crude and simplistic. "Hmm? This is..." Lin Xuan’s spiritual sense suddenly detected something unusual. Deep within his dantian, a small, pitch-black cauldron was slowly rotating. "The Myriad Spirits Cauldron! It actually followed me through my rebirth!" Joy surged in Lin Xuan’s heart. This was his lifelong treasure, a top-grade sacred artifact capable of refining all things in the world. In his previous life, he had relied on it to become the Alchemy Emperor. Just as he was about to study the Myriad Spirits Cauldron further, hurried footsteps came from outside the door. "Brother Lin! Are you awake?" A girl’s crisp voice rang out, tinged with urgency. The door was pushed open, and a girl in green robes rushed in. She had delicate features, though her eyes were slightly red, as if she had been crying. "Senior Sister Linglong?" Lin Xuan recognized her. This was Mu Linglong, the only person in the Green Cloud Sect who had ever shown him kindness. Mu Linglong saw Lin Xuan sitting up and was first startled, then overjoyed. "You’re awake! Great! I was so worried... The sect physician said your injuries were too severe and you might not..." As she spoke, her eyes welled up again. Lin Xuan felt a warmth in his heart and said softly, "I’m fine now. Thank you for your concern, Senior Sister." Mu Linglong wiped her tears and took out a jade bottle from her sleeve. "This is the Marrow Cleansing Pill I asked Elder Uncle for. It should help with your injuries..." Lin Xuan’s heart stirred. The Marrow Cleansing Pill was a middle-grade Yellow Tier elixir, extremely precious in the Green Cloud Sect. For Mu Linglong to obtain it, she must have paid a great price. "Senior Sister, this pill is too valuable. I can’t accept it." Lin Xuan declined. With the Myriad Spirits Cauldron, his injuries were no concern. But Mu Linglong insisted on giving him the bottle. "Take it. In 3 days, it will be the sect’s qualifying competition. If your injuries aren’t healed by then, you’ll be expelled from the sect..." A cold gleam flashed in Lin Xuan’s eyes. The qualifying competition—this was the rule of the Green Cloud Sect. Outer sect disciples had to pass an assessment every 3 years; those who failed would be expelled. His current cultivation base was completely destroyed. In the eyes of others, he was undoubtedly doomed. But now... "Don’t worry, Senior Sister. I will definitely pass the qualifying competition." Lin Xuan’s tone was calm yet carried an unusual confidence. Mu Linglong was slightly taken aback. She felt that today’s Lin Xuan was different from before. Though his expression was still pale, his eyes shone with a sharp light, like an unsheathed sword. After persuading him for a while longer, Mu Linglong finally left. Once alone, Lin Xuan opened the jade bottle. A rich medicinal aroma wafted out. "Low-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill, with impurities accounting for 30 percent. Such crude refining technique..." Lin Xuan shook his head. In his previous life, even the pills he discarded were of higher quality than this. He poured the pill into his palm and focused his mind. The Myriad Spirits Cauldron in his dantian suddenly trembled, emitting a faint black light that enveloped the Marrow Cleansing Pill. In the blink of an eye, the pill shrank by half, its color becoming more translucent, and the medicinal aroma grew even richer. "This..." Lin Xuan’s eyes lit up. "The Myriad Spirits Cauldron can actually purify pills!" The refined Marrow Cleansing Pill had its impurities reduced to less than 10 percent, and its efficacy had increased several times over! Without hesitation, Lin Xuan swallowed the pill. A warm current spread through his limbs and bones, rapidly healing his injuries. He sat cross-legged, circulating the "Profound Heaven Scripture" he had practiced in his previous life. The surrounding spiritual energy surged toward him like a tidal wave, pouring into his body. Qi Refinement First Layer... Qi Refinement Second Layer... Qi Refinement Third Layer... In just 1 night, Lin Xuan’s cultivation had been restored to the Third Layer of Qi Refinement. Moreover, his foundation was even more solid than before! He opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them. "Zhang Hu, just you wait. At the qualifying competition, I will repay you double for everything you’ve done!"