Chapter 615 : The Sovereign's Desperate Gambit

With this thought, the Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign's gaze turned vicious. He gathered the last vestiges of his mana, pushing it to a peak he had never before reached in his life. A power capable of plucking stars and seizing the moon surged forth, forcibly locking onto the Primordial Solar Heaven Soul [the celestial embodiment of the sun's soul] high in the Nine Heavens Above.

"Descend for this Emperor!"

With a furious roar from the Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign, his mana in that instant soared to an unprecedented zenith. A force that could suppress the vast and ancient domains erupted from him.

He would stake everything, heedless of the backlash, to make one final, desperate attempt to forcibly shatter the barrier to that supreme Path Lord [a master who has comprehended and commands a fundamental cosmic principle] realm.

"BOOM—"

The Nine Heavens thundered; the Great Wasteland trembled.

In that fleeting moment, the entire Blazing Domain Sea of Flames boiled over. A radiant, blazing power illuminated heaven and earth, like the roar of an Immortal King [a sovereign among immortals].

Yet, precisely in that same instant, the mana from the Nine Heavens Above that shackled the Heaven Soul [the celestial soul, a manifestation of heavenly fate] could bear the strain no longer. With a series of crisp, shattering sounds, it snapped apart.

Heaven and earth lost their color; all things were stripped of their splendor.

"NO—!" Discover more cultivation stories at audio-novel dot com.

The unwilling roar of the Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign echoed like a remnant sound from the Primordial Era, lingering between heaven and earth for a long time.

The consequence of failure for a desperate, all-or-nothing breakthrough was a pain the Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign could scarcely bear.

His flesh seemed ready to shatter; his ten-thousand-zhang [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] divine-fiend body was crisscrossed with countless fissures, as if struck by heaven itself, wounds that refused to close.

"The demon sovereign's end is nigh."

Witnessing the grievously wounded Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign, Eldrin Chen could not help but sigh inwardly.

What an utterly supreme realm a peerless Path Lord [a master who has forged their own unique cultivation path] was! It required the mightiest of souls and the most profound of spiritual power to pluck the Nine Heavens Soul [a legendary soul-essence said to reside in the highest heavens], a final step beyond the reach of the vast majority of half-step Path Lord.

The Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign's foundation was insufficient, lacking the supreme, star-plucking might of the Nine Heavens [the nine celestial realms]. Even a desperate gamble was but a path to self-destruction.

"Kill—!"

In that very instant, the gaze of the Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign turned deeply upon them.

His eyes locked onto Eldrin Chen. With a final roar, he gripped a Lava Greatsword [a massive blade forged from molten rock and demonic power] and cleaved through the air towards him.

This sword strike was the final, desperate aria of the Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign, its boundless Slaughter intent [a divine ability focused on absolute annihilation] firmly locking onto the foe who had inflicted the greatest harm upon it. The force was so immense that it rendered Eldrin Chen utterly immobile, congealing the very space around him.

More critically, Eldrin Chen had unleashed his full power in rapid succession, repeatedly employing ultimate techniques like the Sky-Severance Sword Union [a supreme sword technique that severs the heavens]. His internal spiritual energy reserves were now perilously depleted, leaving him struggling to muster the power to counter this final assault.

"Disaster!"

Exquisite Jiang's heart clenched. She immediately mobilized every ounce of her strength, unleashing all her defensive arts to shield Eldrin Chen.

Yet, a life-ending strike from a half-step Path Lord [a cultivator on the cusp of attaining mastery over a fundamental cosmic principle] represented the pinnacle of its wielder's lifetime power. How could it be so easily thwarted?

The sword's force effortlessly cleaved through the defensive formations of the Cultivable Earth Kun Origin Disk [a magical treasure embodying the primordial essence of earth], gouged a massive breach in the Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations Cauldron [a cauldron-type treasure representing cosmic stability and desolation], and continued its unstoppable descent toward Eldrin Chen with undiminished fury.

At this critical juncture between life and death, Lila, gritting her teeth, forced the Frost Soul Jade-Condensing Pagoda [a pagoda treasure that condenses frost and soul energy] forward, placing herself as a final barrier.

"*Cough—*"

A thunderous impact echoed. Lila was sent flying backward, a trail of crimson mist marking her path as she was violently hurled away.

Fortunately, the Frost Soul Jade-Condensing Pagoda had held for a crucial instant. Seizing the opportunity, Violet Consort Yan acted. She invoked the Violet Cosmos Void Escape Mirror [a divine ability that severs and isolates space], cleaving the void around Eldrin Chen and severing the murderous intent that had locked him in place.

Seizing this opportunity, the Polarity Void Mirror [a mystical mirror capable of manipulating spatial polarity] acted on its own to protect its master. With a sharp *clang*, it teleported Eldrin Chen away, narrowly evading that heaven-sundering, earth-destroying sword strike.

"No—!"

Seeing his desperate, life-ending blow fail to slay his foe, Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign let out a roar of utter frustration.

Yet, no amount of resentment could change his fate now. The backlash within his body erupted completely. His physical form shattered into a thousand pieces on the spot. Even his Infant Soul [the nascent spiritual core of a cultivator] and Earth Soul [one of the three foundational souls representing earthly connection] were utterly drained, incinerated into mere ashes by the molten rock.

"Hah..."

Having narrowly dodged that seemingly certain fatal strike, Eldrin Chen finally drew a deep, shuddering breath of relief. He hurriedly shielded Exquisite Jiang and Lila, finding both of them gravely injured. Continue your cultivation journey at audio-novel.com (official site).

Exquisite Jiang was in slightly better shape. Although her Six Harmonies and Eight Desolations Cauldron [a powerful defensive cauldron] had been severely damaged, her profound foundational cultivation and deep reserves of spiritual energy allowed her to suppress the majority of the backlash.

However, Lila, despite having blocked the attack with her Frost Soul Jade-Condensing Pagoda [a pagoda treasure that condenses frost and soul energy], possessed a cultivation base only at the Infant Soul 2nd Tier. The backlash she suffered was exceptionally severe. It seemed she would require an entire Sixty-Year Cycle [a complete cycle of sixty years] of recuperation within a Nirvana Pool [a mystical pool with potent restorative properties] to fully recover.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen grasped their hands, hastily feeding them healing elixirs. Only then did he speak, his voice tinged with lingering fear, "If you hadn't blocked for me at that critical moment, this time... I'm afraid even if I hadn't perished, my physical body would have been half-destroyed."

"It's nothing," Lila smiled, simply saying, "A little injury is insignificant. I'm just happy I could be of help to you."

Exquisite Jiang's heart was pounding fiercely. She gripped Eldrin Chen's hand tightly, her voice firm as she spoke, "From now on, you must hold something in reserve. Do not expend yourself so utterly in battle, lest you find yourself powerless at the critical moment."

"Understood."

Seeing that their injuries had stabilized somewhat and were unlikely to leave any permanent, difficult-to-heal damage, Eldrin Chen finally allowed himself to relax.

He glanced at the group and spoke, "Let us clear out this Underground Fire Vein."

As the group discussed, they began to scour the battlefield, gathering the belongings left behind by the fallen Flame Demon True Lord.

After swiftly collecting the Flame Demon True Lord's possessions, they turned their hopeful gazes toward the remains of the Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign.

"What is this..."

No sooner had they reached the Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign's colossal form than Eldrin Chen's eyes widened with delight.

Within the remains of the Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign, deep in the cavity of its heart, flowed seven drops of a crimson liquid. This scarlet essence shimmered with a radiant, brilliant light, gleaming with the luster of Divine Jade [a precious stone imbued with divine spiritual energy].

"It's Primordial Solar True Blood [the condensed, potent lifeblood essence of a being of pure solar yang energy]!"

Eldrin Chen murmured with a face etched in astonishment, "The Primordial Solar True Blood [a divine essence blood from a supreme cultivator], also known as the Path Lord Divine Blood [divine blood of a supreme path master], is typically something only a Primordial Solar Path Lord [a supreme master of the primordial solar path] can nurture within their body."

A Primordial Solar Path Lord [a supreme master of the primordial solar path] has cultivated their power to the pinnacle of the Mortal Path [the path of mortality]. Cultivators at this realm possess bodies that have transcended the mundane. The vital essence blood within them, nourished by their Primordial Solar Primordial Spirit [their supreme solar spiritual core], acquires astonishing and miraculous properties.

Legend holds that a single drop of Vital Essence Blood [concentrated life-force blood] from an Immortal [a being who has ascended to immortality] is enough to allow a cultivator to reverse aging and live a second lifetime. Although the essence blood of a Primordial Solar Path Lord [a supreme master of the primordial solar path] falls far short of that, it still possesses remarkable and wondrous uses.

It is said that Primordial Solar True Blood [a divine essence blood from a supreme cultivator] can help a cultivator mend their foundational roots and refine their spiritual power, possessing the miraculous ability to essentially remake one's innate talent.

It is rumored that a cultivator at the Earthly Path Infant Soul [the earthly path infant soul realm], upon consuming a single drop of Primordial Solar True Blood [a divine essence blood from a supreme cultivator], would see their foundational roots greatly enhanced. While still far inferior to a Heavenly Path Infant Soul [a heavenly path infant soul cultivator], it could increase their chances of breaking through to the Infant Soul Late Stage [the late stage of the infant soul realm] by ten percent.

"It truly is Primordial Solar True Blood [a divine essence blood from a supreme cultivator], and of the fire attribute at that," he confirmed.

The Heavenly Reed Sect Master [the leader of the Heavenly Reed Sect] gazed at the Primordial Solar True Blood [a divine essence blood from a supreme cultivator] before him, unable to suppress the wild joy surging in his heart. He had never imagined that the Flame Demon Monarch Sovereign [the sovereign monarch of the flame demons] would harbor such a treasure within its body.

The Primordial Solar True Blood [a divine essence blood from a supreme cultivator] was a priceless treasure to him. It could mend his foundational deficiencies and bolster his chances of breaking through to the Infant Soul Late Stage [the late stage of the infant soul realm].

After several failed attempts at a breakthrough, he was already a hair's breadth away from the Infant Soul Late Stage [the late stage of the infant soul realm]. With this Primordial Solar True Blood [a divine essence blood from a supreme cultivator], his odds of achieving that breakthrough had increased dramatically.

This thought solidified in his mind, and he couldn't help but turn his gaze to Eldrin Chen. "Fellow Daoist," he said, "how should we divide this Primordial Solar True Blood [a divine essence blood from a supreme cultivator]?" This novel is serialized on site: audio-novel.com. Visit for updates.