Chapter 684 : Celestial Clash of Primordial Spirits

Three days later, the great army advanced westward, arriving at the edge of the battlefield almost without notice.

When Eldrin Chen charged into the fray, he found the battle in the Nine Heavens Above [the highest celestial realms] had already erupted in full force.

A Vermilion Bird True Spirit [a mythical firebird of immense power] that blotted out the sky, a White Tiger True Spirit [a legendary beast of war whose killing intent saturated the wilds], and the three supreme combatants led by Dao Lord Nine Abysses were already locked in a bloody struggle against four Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [demonic beings from beyond this world].

"Form the formation! Lend the Dao Lord [a title for a supreme cultivator] your aid!"

Aboard the fleet, Eldrin Chen commanded the cultivators to activate the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation [a grand defensive and offensive array], seeking to bolster Dao Lord Nine Abysses in the fight.

Seeing the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation surge towards them, one of the horned Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon let out a cold sneer, its voice dripping with boundless killing intent: "A swarm of ants dares to meddle in a battle of Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and highest stage of a cultivator's being]?"

"Overestimating your strength."

With that contemptuous laugh, the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon raised its hand and summoned a Black-Gold Great Halberd [a massive polearm forged from dark metal], bringing it crashing down.

A single blow was all it took. The formation, powered by the combined Mana [the spiritual energy cultivated and wielded by practitioners] of countless cultivators, was utterly shattered, exploding into a devastating shockwave.

And that was not all. The residual force from that halberd strike pierced through several Fifth Rank Treasure Boat [powerful enchanted vessels], reducing them to nothing but ashes and ruin. Experience the full epic at @udio-novel.com.

"Brother Daoxian!"

"My husband…"

In a single Ksana-time [an infinitesimal unit of time from Buddhist cosmology, less than a second], Eldrin Chen swept his gaze around him.

Amidst the shattered wreckage of the Treasure Ship, from the mighty Nascent Soul experts down to the lowly Qi Refinement cultivators, almost none had survived.

Furthermore, over thirty percent of the cultivators powering the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation had perished instantly, their very bodies exploding into clouds of bloody mist.

This was the first time in Eldrin Chen's life he had witnessed a war of such brutal cruelty. A single, seemingly casual strike had already wrought tragedies beyond counting—families torn apart, wives and children lost, entire clans extinguished before his very eyes.

"Aaaah! Kill! Kill them all!"

A Golden Core True Person went mad with grief, charging toward the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon with boundless hatred. Yet before he could even close within a thousand Li-length [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], a mere wisp of killing intent from the demon shredded him into dust and ashes.

For a low-level cultivator to oppose a supreme powerhouse of the Primordial Spirit realm was akin to an ant challenging a being who treads the edge of immortality. Even if the Ji Clan threw their lives away, they could only drain a minuscule fraction of its power.

Seeing the crowd still daring to charge, the Heavenly Demon sneered coldly. "A swarm of insects. You have provoked my wrath."

That Heavenly Demon [a supreme class of demonic entity] sneered and swung its celestial halberd, like an enraged deity swatting at an ant hill, intent on obliterating the entire nest with a single blow.

Whether it was Qi Refinement [the initial stage of cultivation] or Golden Core [the stage where a cultivator condenses their spiritual energy into a solid core], there was no difference under this strike. Even a Nascent Soul True Lord [a cultivator whose soul has taken infant form] was merely a slightly larger insect.

As the heavenly halberd swept across the sky, seven or eight Treasure Ship [massive enchanted vessels] capable of unleashing combat power equivalent to the Nascent Soul Late Stage [the advanced phase of the Nascent Soul realm] were cleaved apart one after another. One Nascent Soul True Lord after another was shattered into fragments.

The assembled cultivators were stunned, utterly unprepared for the battle to unfold in such a manner.

The disparity between the two sides was like an unbridgeable chasm. Even a Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a cultivator on the verge of ascending their soul to its primordial state] was little more than a slightly older child, almost incapable of defying the heavens to slay a god.

"Aaaargh—!"

A scream tore through the air. Eldrin Chen watched as the Treasure Ship of the Tianlu Sect [the Celestial Deer Sect] exploded. The Tianlu Sect Master, whose cultivation had reached the Nascent Soul Late Stage, summoned his Earthfire Mysterious Crystal Sword [a sword forged from earth-fire and mysterious crystal] to block, but in an instant, both man and blade were reduced to ashes, perishing on the spot.

Only a wisp of a remnant soul managed to escape, having actually employed the Nirvana Tribulation Transference Art [a forbidden art that transfers one's heavenly tribulation to achieve a form of rebirth] to undergo a calamitous reincarnation.

"Brother Tianlu!"

Eldrin Chen's eyes burned crimson, his expression one of utter madness as he roared, "Everyone, strike now!"

The Extraterrestrial Demon God [a supreme entity from beyond this world, embodying pure malevolence] moved with a speed so terrifyingly swift that the assembled experts could scarcely react before they suffered devastating losses.

In that critical instant, all thoughts of holding back vanished. Magnus the Virtuous unleashed his Virtuous Heaven Sword [a divine blade embodying righteous virtue], Maris the Sea Steader hurled his Sea-Steadying Divine Pearl [a mystical orb with the power to calm oceans], and Feathered Pavilion Master activated his Five Directions Treasure Banner [a formation banner governing the five cardinal directions]. One supreme treasure after another was directed in a furious assault against the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [a celestial-level demonic entity from beyond this realm].

Yet, the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon showed not a shred of fear. It gathered the supreme, esoteric power of the Demonic Path [the collective practices and doctrines of demonic cultivation] into its very being, and the Demonic Treasure [an artifact forged and empowered by demonic arts] it wielded seemed utterly unstoppable.

A Primordial Spirit [the highest spiritual core and essence of a cultivator, marking a realm of immense power] Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner who cultivates using demonic arts and energies] was taking action personally. Armed with nothing but a single halberd, it stood alone against foes from all directions. From its very first move, an aura of invincibility radiated forth.

The scene unfolded with brutal clarity: the obsidian-and-gold halberd first sent the Virtuous Heaven Sword flying, then in a sweeping motion batted away the Sea-Steadying Divine Pearl. Its momentum unbroken, it cleaved directly towards the Five Directions Treasure Banner. With a sickening crack, the formation was violently sundered, one of its five precious banners sheared clean through.

"*Cough—*" Original English translation available at audio-novel . com.

With one-fifth of his Life-Bound Magical Treasure [a treasure intimately connected to a cultivator's life force and soul] destroyed, Feathered Pavilion Master was sent reeling through the air, blood spraying from his mouth as he suffered a wound of unprecedented severity.

But the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon showed no mercy, pressing its advantage ruthlessly. It gathered its Mana [the spiritual energy cultivated and harnessed by practitioners] once more to strike down its formidable foe, the halberd already descending towards the grievously wounded Feathered Pavilion Master, clearly intent on delivering a final, killing blow.

At this moment of life and death, Xuanxu the Pavilion Master [the master of a pavilion, a title of respect] frantically activated a Violet Firmament Divine Thunder Talisman [a talisman that summons divine thunder from the violet heavens] and hurled its power forward. Yet, in the span of a single breath, a demonic mark upon the Heavenly Demon's forehead split open, releasing a beam of baleful light that instantly obliterated the talisman's attack.

"Xuanxu the Daoist!"

Witnessing Xuanxu the Daoist fall in battle, Eldrin Chen felt a surge of despair. He yearned to seize the fleeting moment in the battle to deliver a fatal blow to his foe.

Yet, his opponent moved with a speed bordering on the intangible. Given his Mana [the refined spiritual energy cultivated by practitioners] and Spiritual Sense [a cultivator's extended perception beyond the five senses], even if he poured his entire being into unleashing the Ethereal Void Sword, he held no certainty of wounding such an adversary.

Maris the Sea Steader's face turned ashen, a look of utter desolation crossing his features as he uttered, "The Nine Nether Demon-Slaying Eye [a legendary divine technique said to vanquish demons from the deepest hells]... it is the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor."

A tremor of dread ran through them all. The Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor had made his name two Millennium ago. Even then, he was hailed as the foremost among the demonic race's Nascent Soul [the stage where a cultivator forms a spiritual infant within their dantian] cultivators. Now, having broken through to the Primordial Spirit Realm [the realm where one's spiritual essence merges with the fundamental laws of heaven and earth], how could they possibly hope to contend with him?

In truth, any being capable of attaining the Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator, representing their merged essence with cosmic laws] was, without exception, a peerless Heaven's Chosen [a title for those blessed with supreme talent and destiny] who stood nearly invincible under the heavens. Even the rare few who ascended from an Earthly Dao Nascent Soul [a Nascent Soul foundation aligned with worldly, rather than heavenly, laws] foundation to Primordial Spirit invariably possessed astonishing and extraordinary qualities.

Such an existence would not have been weaker than them even before his breakthrough. After ascending, how could they be his match? Moreover, the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor was likely a rare powerhouse even among those at the Primordial Spirit, Early Stage.

This great battle was doomed from the outset, for they had gravely underestimated the might of a supreme powerhouse of the Primordial Spirit realm.

"Human Race Heaven's Chosen, today I shall eradicate you all!"

The Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor roared with maniacal laughter, his celestial halberd sweeping forth with an aura of invincibility to crush his formidable enemies.

This was a mid-grade Pure Yin Demonic Treasure [a powerful artifact forged from the essence of absolute Yin, often wielded by demonic cultivators]. With a single strike, it assailed all foes. Even supreme treasures like the Virtuous Heaven Sword and the Sea-Steadying Divine Pearl, which were of the Pure Yang Spiritual Treasure [artifacts forged from the essence of absolute Yang, the pinnacle of orthodox spiritual treasures] grade, could not withstand its onslaught.

With an aura of invincible might, he once again cleaved towards Feathered Pavilion Master, clearly intent on shattering his foes one by one.

At this critical juncture, Eldrin Chen could only grit his teeth and unleash his Green Abyss Sword. With a resonant *clang* that carried peerless killing intent, the blade swept towards the wielder of the black-gold demonic halberd who sought to aid Feathered Pavilion Master.

Yet, upon the very first clash, the Green Abyss Sword was sent flying back. The residual force of the blow swept over Eldrin Chen, causing him to cough up blood and be blasted back for thousands of Li-lengths [one Li-length equals five hundred meters], suffering a grievous wound.

This outcome was only because Eldrin Chen had cultivated the Five Thunders Body Tempering Grand Art [a supreme art for forging the physical body with the power of thunder] for many years, granting him a physical strength surpassing even that of a Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a cultivator on the verge of attaining the Primordial Spirit realm] powerhouse. An ordinary Nascent Soul, Mid Stage [the middle stage of the Nascent Soul cultivation realm] cultivator would likely have been reduced to a mist of blood by the backlash.

After deflecting the Green Abyss Sword with a single blow, the halberd's remaining momentum proved unstoppable, instantly shattering Feathered Pavilion Master into fragments.

Fortunately, Feathered Pavilion Master possessed numerous treasures, including a life-preserving ultimate treasure—a Life-Substitute Puppet [a mystical puppet that can take a fatal blow in place of its master]. At the critical moment, it intercepted the lethal strike, teleporting his Nascent Soul [the immortal soul core of a high-level cultivator] to an unknown location tens of thousands of Li-lengths away in the void.

And at that moment, the void fell into utter silence.

All who witnessed the battle were awestruck. An unprecedented sense of despair and the notion of an invincible foe surged into the hearts of every onlooker. This novel is serialized on audio - novel . com. Visit for updates.