Chapter 644 : Heavenly Flame's Triumphant Strike

Exquisite Jiang's expression shifted slightly. This Blood Ghost Robe was the famed Spiritual Treasure of Blood Robe Old Freak, imbued with the Netherworld Blood Fiend [a sinister technique that summons spectral blood fiends]. Not only did it possess formidable combat power, but it was also specifically designed to corrupt the magical treasure [enchanted artifacts] of righteous cultivators.

Yet Eldrin Chen, facing the Blood Ghost Robe head-on, merely offered a faint smile. "Perfect timing," he said coldly.

In that instant, the Heavenly Flame Power [the power of celestial fire] upon the Solar Fire Returning Abyss Sword surged violently. With a sharp *clang*, it cleaved a deep scar into the crimson spectral apparition.

Immediately after, boundless Heavenly Flame [celestial fire] erupted into a raging inferno, engulfing the Blood Ghost Robe and drawing forth a piercing, agonized shriek.

"My Blood Ghost Robe!" the old fiend howled.

Witnessing his prized Demonic Treasure [a demonic artifact] grievously wounded, Blood Robe Old Freak cried out in alarm.

The Blood Ghost Robe was his signature weapon, his trump card. He never imagined it would be crippled in a single exchange, and worse, the blazing Heavenly Flame [celestial fire] proved utterly impossible to extinguish.

Even back in his Infant Soul Early Stage days, Eldrin Chen had been capable of destroying Demonic Treasure [demonic artifacts] with his Heavenly Flame Magical Power [celestial flame arcane power]. Now, having broken through to the Infant Soul Mid Stage, his spiritual power had grown by leaps and bounds. Though the Blood Ghost Robe was indeed Extraordinary, it was fatally countered and utterly outmatched.

"Disaster! It's the Heavenly Flame Arcane Power [celestial flame arcane power]!"

Realizing his Blood Ghost Robe was being destroyed, Blood Robe Old Freak's face paled dramatically. Immerse yourself in the complete world at audio-novel-dot-com.

Although his true strength was far greater, the power displayed by Eldrin Chen before him exceeded all expectations, planting the seed of retreat in his heart.

With that thought, he transformed into a streak of light, attempting to flee into the distance to save his life.

However, Eldrin Chen had already deployed the Polarity Void Mirror to seal the surrounding space, while Exquisite Jiang from the other side had seized the opportunity to close in.

If he allowed the two to encircle him, his fate would be sealed.

In that fleeting instant, Blood Robe Old Freak made a desperate move. He hurled the treasure vase in his hand and pivoted to flee in the opposite direction.

"Hmph—"

Eldrin Chen's gaze sharpened. Naturally unwilling to let such a formidable foe escape, he immediately summoned the Celestial Abyss Twin Swords. The twin blades merged into one and cleaved downward with devastating force.

Yet Blood Robe Old Freak was ruthlessly decisive. Not only did he abandon the Heaven Trigram Cloud he had been in the process of collecting, but he also severed his own arm to fuel the Blood Sacrifice Escape Art [a forbidden technique that consumes one's own blood and vitality for a burst of extreme speed], forcibly blasting his way out of the encirclement.

Seeing that Blood Robe Old Freak had broken free, Eldrin Chen ultimately suppressed the impulse to give chase.

If he pursued, the Heaven Trigram Cloud would almost certainly escape. Moreover, even if he gave chase, he was not certain he could finish off Blood Robe Old Freak.

That Blood-Robed Old Freak retreated with decisive swiftness. Having barely unleashed his full arsenal, the moment he sensed the overwhelming dominance of Eldrin Chen's Heavenly Flame Magical Power, he immediately chose to flee.

Such an old demon was clearly a veteran of countless battles. Even for a powerhouse at the Great Perfection of Infant Soul realm, slaying him would likely prove no easy feat.

Watching the Blood-Robed Old Freak escape, Eldrin Chen decisively seized the black treasure vase. Channeling his spiritual power to forcefully activate the artifact, he began the painstaking process of drawing in the Heaven Trigram Cloud [a formidable cloud formation imbued with the power of the Eight Trigrams].

The Heaven Trigram Cloud proved exceedingly difficult to collect. The two of them spent a full seven days, and even then, they only succeeded by leveraging the vase's unique power.

They discovered the vase was named the Black Wind Vase, a Inferior-Grade Spiritual Treasure [a lower-tier enchanted artifact of significant power]. It was capable of containing various mists, clouds, and miasmas, making it a rare Spiritual Treasure specifically suited to countering the Heaven Trigram Cloud.

However, while the vase could collect the cloud formation, it could only absorb the misty essence bit by bit, limiting its practical utility in the heat of battle.

Having unexpectedly obtained the Heaven Trigram Cloud, Eldrin Chen said with delight, "Our fortune truly smiles upon us. Just as we pondered how to secure the Heaven Trigram Cloud, someone delivered the means right into our hands."

Exquisite Jiang offered a light laugh. "The Demonic Cultivators [cultivators who pursue power through malevolent and often sacrificial means] are a blight upon this world. Over the years, we have slain many such fiends. Now, with your breakthrough to the Infant Soul Mid Stage [the middle stage of the Infant Soul cultivation realm], it is only natural that our Fortune [a concept of destiny and favorable circumstances] is at its zenith."

"Perhaps so,"

Eldrin Chen nodded in agreement, a faint, wry smile touching his lips as he shook his head.

The true prodigies of this world, those Primordial Spirit Path Lord [a cultivator who has reached the peak of the Primordial Spirit realm and is on the cusp of immortality] with the potential to ascend to immortality, which among them does not possess astonishing Fortune [a metaphysical concept representing one's destined luck, opportunities, and karmic blessings]?

Consider the Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure [a supreme-grade magical artifact imbued with the pure essence of the primordial sun] of Sea-Calmer Path Master, or the Innate Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure [a supreme-grade magical artifact born from nature, imbued with the pure essence of the primordial sun] Surging Wave Sword [a divine sword that channels the power of surging tides] belonging to Billowing Waves. How could such supreme treasures be obtained by mere rogue cultivators without heaven-defying Fortune [a metaphysical concept representing one's destined luck, opportunities, and karmic blessings]?

Take Imperial Sovereign Jiang, for instance. Beyond his innate talent and brilliance, his entire cultivation journey seemed divinely guided, as if aided by the heavens themselves. He broke through to the Ascendant Immortal Realm [the realm of a cultivator who has shed their mortal body and is on the verge of true immortality] in an unbroken chain of serendipitous encounters.

Throughout the annals of history, those who ultimately ascended to immortality likely possessed youthful Fortune [a metaphysical concept representing one's destined luck, opportunities, and karmic blessings] no less impressive than my own.

After storing the treasure, Exquisite Jiang spoke again, "My spiritual power is still insufficient. I cannot remain here much longer. Let us return."

"Agreed." This chapter is part of a larger work available at www . audio-novel.com.

Eldrin Chen gave a nod and soared towards the vast land below.

"..."

Long River Ancient Domain, Ethereal Void Continent.

A majestic Spirit Mountain [a mountain range suffused with potent spiritual energy, ideal for cultivation] pierced the heavens, its peaks wreathed in ethereal mists and swirling clouds. Divine Immortal Crane [a crane-like spiritual beast symbolizing longevity and purity] and other mystical avians danced upon the winds, painting a scene of transcendent, otherworldly grandeur.

This mountain is named Sea-Covering Mountain [a mountain so vast it seems to cover the sea], and it serves as the Path-Field [a sacred cultivation ground] of the Infant Soul Immortal Clan Cheng Clan.

At this moment, atop the mountain peak, beside a majestic cliff, two figures—one old, one young—stood together, gazing at the clouds swirling and unfurling below.

The youth looked at the elder, his expression tinged with hesitation. "Patriarch," he asked, "what matter brings you to seek me?"

"In old age, one often reminisces about the past."

The old man sighed, studying the youth intently for a long while before speaking with heartfelt approval. "To break through to the Golden Core Realm [the third major stage of cultivation where one forms a solid core of spiritual power] in a mere three Sixty-Year Cycle [a cycle of sixty years]... your talent would be considered rare even within an Infant Soul Immortal Clan."

The young man offered a modest smile. "It is entirely due to your guidance and nurturing over these years, Patriarch."

The elder chuckled softly, a sound that turned into a weak cough. The youth swiftly moved to support him, his voice laced with concern. "Patriarch, your injuries..."

"I am not dead yet."

The old man settled onto the ground, sitting cross-legged, and dismissed the concern with another couple of unconcerned coughs.

He studied Corin for several more moments before finally speaking, his tone grave. "Corin, I fear my wounds have progressed beyond recovery. There are matters I must now entrust to you."

"Patriarch."

The youth's expression shifted slightly at the words, but the old man gestured for him to listen quietly.

The elder coughed twice, then began to speak in a measured tone. "In truth, Patriarch's surname is Chen, not Cheng. Moreover, this old man hails from beyond the borders of the Long River Ancient Domain."

"Chen?"

The youth was momentarily stunned, a look of surprise washing over his face.

The old man nodded slowly. "In times past, Patriarch's clan was the preeminent Infant Soul Immortal Clan of the Three Veins Ancient Domain—the Chen Clan."

"A great calamity befell us. Because I possessed the Path Body [a rare constitution with great potential for cultivation], I was secretly evacuated as one of the clan's Infant Soul Seed [a young cultivator groomed to reach the Infant Soul Realm]."

"Yet our enemies would not let us be. Hundreds of us scattered in flight for our lives. I alone managed to flee into the Long River Ancient Domain, where I changed my name and lived in hiding, clinging to survival."

"Cough... cough..."

At this point, the elder coughed again before continuing, his voice growing weaker. "Even so, I carry a Demonic Path Curse [a malevolent hex cast using demonic arts] placed upon me by that Blood-Refining Old Demon. All these years, it has gnawed at me like maggots in the bone, ceaselessly eroding my vitality."

"In recent years, this old man achieved a breakthrough into the Infant Soul realm [the stage where a cultivator's nascent soul is formed]. I had long intended to return and reclaim our clan's heritage, but the worsening curse made it impossible to leave."

"Now, as I am nearing the end of my strength, the Fang Clan continues to press their advantage relentlessly. Therefore, I have decided to send you to the Three Veins Ancient Domain."

Mentioning this, the old man continued, "Within our ancestral lands, there should still be a reserve of Heavenly Path Energy [a supreme-grade spiritual energy conducive to cultivation] left behind by our Patriarch. In the future, it may help you forge a Heavenly Path Foundation [the highest grade of Foundation Establishment, laying a perfect groundwork for the path of immortality]." The story continues at *audio-novel.com*.