Chapter 680 : Cosmic Annihilation Unleashed

This Lucian Ji, whose cultivation had reached the lofty Nascent Soul, 6th Tier realm and was founded upon a Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul [a Nascent Soul formed in harmony with the Heavenly Dao, granting superior power and potential], possessed combat prowess that, while not matching the profound Mana [the spiritual energy cultivated and wielded by practitioners] reserves of Eldrin Chen, was in no way inferior to a typical Nascent Soul Late Stage cultivator.

At this moment, Lucian Ji gathered his true power and unleashed his Lifebound Grand Divine Ability [a supreme technique intrinsically linked to a cultivator's life force and cultivation path], the 'Cosmic Annihilation Blade of the Great Five Elements, Magnetism, and Starlight', transforming it into a blade of light of breathtaking splendor that cleaved towards the Adamantine Demon God.

"Disaster!"

The instant he saw this blade light, the Adamantine Demon God felt his heart lurch, a sudden, deadly sense of crisis washing over him.

The Cosmic Annihilation Blade of the Great Five Elements, Magnetism, and Starlight was a famously formidable Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural power or technique] within the Human Race, its reputation fearsome even among the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [powerful demonic beings from beyond this world].

Moreover, this particular Divine Ability was the natural bane of the Adamantine Demon God. Thus, no matter how arrogant he was, the demon god dared not meet this strike with his fleshly body, frantically attempting to withdraw and evade.

However, having chosen to strike, the group had naturally made thorough preparations.

At the critical moment, Lyra Jiang invoked the Triad Divine Radiance to ensnare him, while Yvonne the Violet Consort and Lila simultaneously activated the Violet Cosmos Void-Traversing Mirror [a powerful enchanted artifact capable of manipulating space] and the Frost Soul Divine Light respectively, sealing off his avenues of retreat.

Under normal circumstances, a few mere Great Vehicle Divine Ability [powerful divine abilities of a high order] and a single Superior Grade Spiritual Treasure [a top-tier enchanted artifact] would have been negligible threats to a Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a cultivator on the verge of attaining the Primordial Spirit realm] like the Adamantine Demon God.

Yet now, suppressed by the Yin-Yang Void Realm [a treasure that manipulates the fundamental forces of Yin and Yang to create a restrictive domain], the flow of his Mana had become agonizingly sluggish. Compounded by the loss of his Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a magical treasure bonded to a cultivator's life and soul], he was like a tiger stripped of its claws and fangs. Cornered by the combined assault, he found himself with nowhere left to flee. Published by audio–novel.com. All rights reserved.

In that fleeting moment of delay, the Cosmic Annihilation Blade of the Great Five Elements, Magnetism, and Starlight wielded by Lucian Ji descended with devastating force, cleaving a massive, grievous wound into his physical form.

Not only that, under the immense destructive power of the Cosmic Annihilation Blade of the Great Five Elements, Magnetism, and Starlight, the Adamantine Demon God's body began to disintegrate uncontrollably, its supposedly unbreakable Dao Patterns [mystical patterns embodying fundamental principles of the Dao] starting to shatter and unravel.

"Aaaargh—!"

Suffering unprecedented damage, the Adamantine Demon God could no longer maintain its fatally compromised flesh. It abandoned its physical shell, manifesting its Earthly Soul [one of the three souls in Chinese metaphysics, representing the corporeal and emotional aspects] and its Nascent Soul [the condensed spiritual core of a high-level cultivator] to flee.

Cultivators at the Half-Step Primordial Spirit realm have already fused with their Earthly Soul, granting them formidable combat prowess even after discarding their mortal bodies.

However, this Adamantine Demon God's formidable Divine Ability [supernatural powers granted by divine or profound cultivation] were intrinsically linked to its physical form. Having lost its body, the majority of its combat strength evaporated.

Eldrin Chen naturally would not miss this chance to press his advantage against a wounded foe. He summoned his Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss [a magical treasure sword imbued with the power of Li Fire, associated with the trigram for fire and clarity]. With a resonant *clang*, it descended in a mighty slash, cleanly bisecting the demon god's Earthly Soul.

Immediately after, roaring Celestial Fire [a divine flame of heavenly origin] erupted and surged, instantly incinerating the Adamantine Demon God's sundered Earthly Soul to ashes on the spot.

"You will pay for this!"

With its Earthly Soul utterly destroyed, the Adamantine Demon God was left with only a solitary Nascent Soul. All hope of ever advancing to the Primordial Spirit [the highest spiritual core, representing the unification of the three souls] realm was forever extinguished.

Such a grudge over the severing of his Great Dao [the supreme path of cultivation] filled his gaze with a torrential, murderous intent as he glared at the assembled foes.

His expression suddenly hardened. Disregarding all consequences, he forcibly activated the Demon God Heaven-Suppressing Bell [a mighty bell artifact capable of suppressing even divine power], causing it to break free from the restraint of the Western Pole Magnetic Essence Peak [a mountain-shaped treasure imbued with the magnetic essence of the western pole].

Patriarch Nie, who was closest and still rejoicing over having secured the Quasi-Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure [a treasure of near-pure Yang energy], was caught completely off guard. The Demon God Heaven-Suppressing Bell erupted with force, instantly pulverizing him into a mist of blood. Not even his Nascent Soul [the spiritual infant formed within a high-level cultivator, representing their core essence and potential for immortality] managed to escape.

"Brother Nie!"

Eldrin Chen swiftly cleaved through the Nascent Soul of the Adamantine Demon God [a demon of immense physical resilience], but by then, it was already too late.

"Alas," sighed Lyra Jiang, unable to hold back her words. "Patriarch Nie was merely at the Nascent Soul, Early Stage. With such cultivation, to intervene in a battle of Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a realm just shy of achieving a Primordial Spirit] magnitude... he came with the conviction of a martyr from the very beginning."

Eldrin Chen's eyes burned crimson. Yet, with the great battle still raging, he had no time for prolonged grief. He summoned his Immortal Sword [a divine blade of immortal grade] and surged toward the remaining Half-Step Primordial Spirit foe.

"Worthless."

At that moment, witnessing the fall of the Adamantine Demon God, the Garuda Demon Monarch [a mighty demon lord resembling the mythical bird of prey] high upon the Firmament [the highest vault of heaven] finally furrowed his brow.

With a swift glance around, he understood in his heart that the demonic legion was unlikely to break through the formidable enemy lines and come to his aid.

"With only Harlan and that old fiend Maris, relying on my father's methods, I still have confidence in victory. However, for Xuanxu the Daoist and the Feathered Pavilion Master to dare besiege me, they must have further schemes prepared."

"If that is the case..."

The Garuda Demon Monarch's mind raced in an instant, and a sliver of intent to retreat took root.

With a flick of his hand, he summoned the Heavenly Demon's Immortal-Slaying Sword and cleaved towards Maris the Sea Steader, forcing Maris the Sea Steader to channel his Sea-Steading Pearl to parry the blow.

Yet, in that fleeting moment between lightning and spark, he feinted with his sword, seeking an opening to flee.

The Feathered Pavilion Master was prepared. In a flash, he raised his hand and unleashed a set of Formation Flags that sealed the surrounding void. Your portal to cultivation novels: audio-novel dot com.

"The Five Directions Treasure Banner [a legendary set of five banners representing the cardinal directions and the center, used to form powerful spatial seals]?"

The Garuda Demon Monarch's pupils contracted, instantly recognizing the origin of these Formation Flags.

The Five Directions Treasure Banner comprised the Eastern Azure Lotus Banner, the Southern Blazing Fire Banner, the Western Metallic Gold Banner, the Northern Profound Ice Banner, and the Central Loess Earth Banner.

It was said this Five Directions Treasure Banner was a replica of a supreme-grade Innate Spiritual Treasure [a treasure born from the primordial chaos of heaven and earth, possessing immense innate power] from the Immortal Realm, a peerless treasure even within the Purple Realm.

It is said that within the Central Ancestral Domain [the primordial and most spiritually potent region of the world], there exists a set of Five Directions Treasure Banner [a legendary formation composed of five directional banners] of the Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure [a supreme grade of artifact imbued with the purest Yang energy] rank. When combined, they form one of the top ten Supreme Treasure of Pure Yang [ultimate artifacts of pure Yang essence] within the Purple Realm [a vast and ancient celestial domain], their might not the slightest bit inferior to the Five Venoms Immortal-Slaying Swords [a set of five legendary swords, each imbued with a different deadly venom]. This alone speaks volumes of their astonishing origins.

This set of life-bound Formation Flags [flags used as the core components of a powerful formation] wielded by the Feathered Pavilion Master is composed of five banners, each at the Quasi-Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure [a treasure just one step below the supreme Pure Yang rank] rank. When activated simultaneously, they unleash seventy to eighty percent of the power of a true Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure, truly worthy of being called a genuine trump card.

"How could he possess such a thing?"

The Garuda Demon Monarch [a powerful demon ruler of the Garuda race] paled, utterly baffled as to how the Feathered Pavilion Master could command such a supreme treasure.

Not only was he shocked, but even Eldrin Chen was taken aback. In his estimation, the Feathered Pavilion Master's trump card should have been a treasure gifted by a senior. He never imagined it would be the Pavilion Master's own life-bound Formation Flags.

In truth, to forge this set of Formation Flags, the Feathered Pavilion Master had not only exhausted the Deep-Seated Foundation [the accumulated spiritual resources and legacy built up over millennia] that the Feathered Pavilion had amassed over ten thousand years, but also incurred a massive debt of favor to the Long River Sacred Land [a revered and ancient sacred land] just to gather the required Quasi-Sixth Rank [materials of a quality approaching the sixth rank] forging materials.

Regardless, the Feathered Pavilion Master's surprise move dealt a severe blow to the Garuda Demon Monarch.

If he could not breach this Formation Flags array, he feared he would truly be trapped here until his demise.

With this realization, the Garuda Demon Monarch could no longer afford to hoard his Deep-Seated Foundation. He raised a hand and immediately summoned a pitch-black divine talisman.

As he channeled his power, streams of dazzling radiance shot across the sky, summoning a form of utter darkness that materialized before him.

"Who dares obstruct my path to enlightenment?"

The newcomer was merely a manifestation, yet it stood ten thousand Zhang-lengths [one Zhang-length equals three point three three meters] tall, a titanic deity-demon that blotted out the heavens and eclipsed the sun.

With a sweeping gaze, it flicked its sleeve and summoned forth a halberd of such immense scale it seemed to shroud the sky. This colossal weapon cleaved through the air, crashing down upon the Five Directions Treasure Banner.

"It's the Dharma Idol [a powerful spiritual projection or avatar] of the Garuda Heavenly Demon!"

Magnus the Virtuous's expression shifted. He swiftly summoned his Virtuous Heaven Sword and unleashed a slash. Yet, the demonic Dharma Idol parried the blow with its great halberd and effortlessly repelled the attack.

A Dharma Idol is a creation of a Primordial Spirit Realm cultivator. They sever a wisp of their own Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator] and fuse it with a supreme treasure to forge such an entity.

If crafted by an early-stage Primordial Spirit, Early Stage Heavenly Demon, the resulting Dharma Idol possesses power at most equivalent to a Half-Step Primordial Spirit cultivator. However, one forged by a late-stage Primordial Spirit, Late Stage Great Heavenly Demon can even exhibit combat strength rivaling a true Primordial Spirit.

The fact that this Heavenly Demon's Dharma Idol repelled the Virtuous Heaven Sword with a single move made it clear: this was no mere projection from an early or mid-stage Primordial Spirit cultivator. This chapter is part of a larger work available at (audio-novel.com).