Chapter 612 : The Crimson Dragon's Voyage

He cast a glance at the Crimson Flood Dragon Treasure Ship [a formidable vessel imbued with the essence of a crimson flood dragon], his expression tinged with envy. "I never imagined your Chen Clan had already constructed a War Treasure Ship [a massive, magically fortified warship used for large-scale combat]. This old man is truly envious."

As he spoke, the Heavenly Reed Sect Master standing nearby also revealed a flicker of complex emotion on his face.

The Heavenly Reed Sect, once a mighty Infant Soul Great Sect [a major sect led by cultivators at the Infant Soul Realm], had possessed Fifth Rank War Treasure Ship in its heyday, even boasting two such vessels.

Alas, the catastrophic battle a millennium ago had dealt the Heavenly Reed Sect a grievous blow. Not only did their previous sect master, a cultivator at the Infant Soul Late Stage [the advanced stage of the Infant Soul Realm], fall in that conflict, but both of their War Treasure Ship were utterly destroyed in the calamity.

"Ah..."

The Heavenly Reed Sect Master sighed softly, then quickly composed himself with a smile. "With this Crimson Flood Dragon Treasure Ship, our chances of success in this battle are significantly greater."

The group boarded the Treasure Ship and continued their flight deeper into the heart of the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire [a vast, perilous sea of eternal flames].

After flying for merely half a day, they arrived at the deepest part of the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire, halting before the mouth of a colossal volcano.

At that moment, the volcano's maw was sealed shut by a dazzling, tri-colored radiance emanating from its rim.

Eldrin Chen observed carefully and discovered three Infant Soul True Lord [cultivators at the True Lord stage of the Infant Soul Realm] of extraordinary bearing, each holding a Formation Flag [a flag used to anchor and control a magical formation]. It was clear they were the ones channeling this Formation [a structured arrangement of energy and artifacts to produce a specific magical effect] to seal the volcano. Experience the full epic at audio-novel . com.

"This is the Three Origins Demon-Sealing Formation [a powerful formation designed to trap and suppress demonic entities]. If not for relying on this Formation [a structured arrangement of power for defense or attack] these past days, the Flame Demon Race [a race of demons born from and wielding elemental fire] would likely have already broken out from the Underground Fire Vein [a subterranean river of concentrated fire-aspected spiritual energy]."

As the Heavenly Reed Sect Master [the leader of the Heavenly Reed Sect] spoke, a trace of solemnity appeared between his brows.

This Three Origins Demon-Sealing Formation was a foundational treasure of the Heavenly Reed Sect [a major cultivation sect], requiring three Infant Soul True Lord [cultivators who have condensed their Primordial Spirit into an infant form, a major realm of power] to jointly activate it. Currently, those powering the formation were the sect's Grand Elder, Third Elder, and Fourth Elder.

The Grand Elder of Heavenly Reed Sect was a woman at the Infant Soul Mid Stage [the middle phase of the Infant Soul realm]. Upon seeing the Heavenly Reed Sect Master, she said, "Senior Brother, your arrival is most timely. Any later and I fear even we could not have held the seal."

"You have all worked hard these past days, honored Elder [senior members of a sect or clan]."

The Heavenly Reed Sect Master gave a nod to the three of them, then gathered everyone near the volcano's crater to discuss their strategy.

He swept his gaze over the assembly and began, "The Underground Fire Vein lies within this colossal volcanic mountain. The greatest threats within, aside from the Flame Demon Monarch [the ruler of the Flame Demons], are those four Flame Demon True Lord [Flame Demons who have reached the True Lord cultivation level]."

"Beyond them lies the truly endless horde of low-tier Flame Demon. Their numbers within likely exceed one million, posing a significant nuisance."

As he spoke, a shadow of gravity crossed his face. While individually weak, a coordinated assault from a million Flame Demon would give even a True Lord [a cultivator of the True Lord realm] pause.

"These lesser demons are best dealt with by lower-realm cultivators. However, though Tianlu Continent [the Tianlu Continent] boasts over ten million cultivators, it avails us nothing if they cannot enter the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire [the Flaming Prison Sea of Fire, a region of extreme heat and danger]."

Lila [the young girl] heard this and a slight movement crossed her brow. She spoke, "We have the Crimson Flood Dragon Treasure Ship. With just a single True Lord [a cultivator at the Nascent Soul equivalent realm] at the helm to activate the Myriad Swords Soaring Demon-Slaying Sword Formation, even a horde of low-tier Flame Demon [demons born of fire and chaos] would pose little threat."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Violet Consort Yan [a powerful female cultivator] extended her divine sense [a form of spiritual perception] to sweep over the Crimson Flood Dragon Treasure Ship. A look of delight appeared on her face as she said, "This Myriad Swords Soaring Demon-Slaying Grand Formation would be the bane of lesser fiends."

The Heavenly Reed Sect Master finally let out a sigh of relief. With this ship and the two thousand cultivators at the Violet Sanctum [Foundation Establishment equivalent] realm and above joining the battle, they would no longer need to fear being bogged down by swarms of low-tier Flame Demon.

Having thought this through, he then said, "Then let us discuss our battle plan."

"Among those five Flame Demon, aside from the Flame Demon Monarch [the ruler of the flame demons], one possesses cultivation at the Infant Soul Mid Stage [mid-stage Nascent Soul], while the other three are merely at the Infant Soul Early Stage [early-stage Nascent Soul]. How do you propose we arrange the engagement?"

Exquisite Jiang's [a formidable female cultivator] eyes flickered with thought. She then spoke, "Elara possesses abundant spiritual power, but her Ice Spiritual Root [an innate affinity for ice-element spiritual energy] is ill-suited for combat within a Fire Vein [a geographical location rich in fire-element spiritual energy]. You should be the one to power the Treasure Ship."

"Agreed," Elara Lin [a cultivator with an ice affinity] nodded.

Eldrin Chen's [the male protagonist, a powerful sword cultivator] brow furrowed slightly in contemplation. He proposed, "My wife and I possess greater reserves of spiritual power. We shall temporarily hold back that Flame Demon Monarch. The rest of you must swiftly eliminate the four Flame Demon True Lord [Flame Demons at the True Lord/Nascent Soul level]."

"Understood."

Seeing that they had agreed to take on the most troublesome adversaries, Heavenly Reed Sect Master offered a slight smile. "Then, I shall handle the Flame Demon at the Infant Soul Mid Stage," he declared.

"Agreed," Eldrin Chen nodded before inquiring, "How fares the recovery of your injuries, Fellow Daoist?"

"It is of no consequence," Heavenly Reed Sect Master replied, continuing, "My wounds were not severe. Moreover, having taken a Soul-Returning Pill [a high-grade elixir renowned for its potent healing properties], my condition is already more than half restored."

"That is good to hear."

Upon hearing this, the others present also let out a collective sigh of relief.

With the two most troublesome Flame Demon True Lord [powerful demonic cultivators who have attained the True Lord realm] being held at bay, the subsequent arrangements became considerably more manageable. Continue reading this story at audio–novel.com.

According to their strategy, Violet Consort Yan, Ethereal Mistress Ling, and Lila, whose spiritual power was formidable, decided to concentrate their strength to first eliminate one of the demonic beings. This would break the deadlock, after which they could provide support to the others as the situation warranted, thus preventing the battle from dragging on too long.

Second Elder of Heavenly Reed Sect, Old Patriarch, Patriarch Mo-ink, and Quentin Qiu were tasked with holding off the other two Flame Demon True Lord. Their objective was not necessarily to slay their opponents but to delay them until Lila and her companions could turn the tide of battle.

As for Old Patriarch and the two remaining Elder from the Heavenly Reed Sect, they were responsible for activating the Three Origins Demon-Sealing Formation [a powerful sealing array designed to trap demonic entities] to blockade the entrance to the Underground Fire Vein [a subterranean channel rich with fiery spiritual energy], thereby preventing any Flame Demon Race from escaping.

They also served as a reserve force, ready to reinforce the others at a moment's notice should the course of the battle take an unexpected turn.

However, after hearing the arrangements, Eternal Profound Chen addressed the Grand Elder of Heavenly Reed Sect: "The Immortal Maiden Heavenly Daylily possesses formidable magical power. Would it not be better for you to enter the Underground Fire Vein while this old man takes charge of your Formation Flag [a flag used to control and stabilize a magical formation]?"

"This..."

The group was momentarily taken aback but quickly grasped the Old Patriarch's intent.

If the three members of the Heavenly Reed Sect were left to control the Three Origins Demon-Sealing Formation [a powerful formation designed to trap and seal demonic entities], and if—however unlikely—they were to collude with the Flame Demon, using the formation to block the escape route, it would spell certain disaster.

Though the possibility was remote, Eternal Profound Chen, seasoned and shrewd, had considered it nonetheless.

By taking control of one of the Formation Flag himself, he ensured a secure retreat for everyone, no matter what unforeseen events might arise.

The others quickly understood his reasoning. The Heavenly Reed Sect Master chuckled apologetically, "My oversight. It is indeed fitting for Fellow Daoist Eternal Profound to hold a Formation Flag."

Seeing this, the Immortal Maiden Heavenly Daylily handed her Formation Flag to Eternal Profound Chen with a light laugh, "This Formation Flag is a treasured heirloom of our Heavenly Reed Sect, Fellow Daoist. Pray, do not damage it."

"I shall guard it with utmost care," he replied.

Only after receiving the Formation Flag did Eternal Profound Chen allow a faint smile to touch his lips.

After the battle plans were settled and their worries laid to rest, the group felt their confidence surge significantly. However, Lila voiced her concern to Eldrin Chen, saying, "The Flame Demon Monarch is immensely powerful. You and sister must be extremely cautious."

"Do not worry. That Flame Demon Monarch cannot harm me,"

Eldrin Chen replied with a faint smile. His cultivation had now reached the Infant Soul 3rd Tier [the third stage of the Infant Soul realm, where the nascent soul gains significant power], and his strength was far greater than in years past. Furthermore, this Flame Demon Monarch was likely far inferior to the Violet Jade Demon Emperor.

The others laughed heartily upon hearing this. Their preparations for this battle were exceedingly thorough, and they were confident that even if they could not slay the Flame Demon Monarch, they would not suffer any major losses.

Meanwhile, Violet Consort Yan cast a thoughtful glance at Exquisite Jiang and transmitted a voice message, "I truly never imagined, given your temperament, that you could tolerate her presence." Support the author by reading on audio-novel[dot]com.