Chapter 686 : Dragon's Fury and Mortal Strike

The Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor was far too overconfident, actually attempting to pounce upon and crush Magnus the Virtuous with the raw power of its physical body.

This provided Eldrin Chen with a rare opportunity. He poured all his remaining strength into unleashing the final sword strike from the Green Abyss Sword, aiming directly for the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor's throat.

The Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor instantly felt a chill at its throat. Forced to twist its posture in a desperate, last-moment evasion, it narrowly avoided the fatal blow, yet the sword still carved a massive, grievous wound into its flesh.

"ROAR—!"

The demonic dragon bellowed in agony, its roar saturated with a killing intent as explosive as a volcanic eruption.

It soared into the Nine Heavens Above, its pupils blazing with boundless murderous fury as it fixed its gaze upon Eldrin Chen. That single strike had come perilously close to inflicting a crippling, potentially fatal injury.

A child wielding a blade may pose little threat to a strong adult, unlikely to land a solid hit. Yet, a blade remains a blade. A single, well-placed strike to the throat could still deliver a mortal wound.

At this moment, enduring the searing agony of the Celestial Fire cauterizing its wound, the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor turned its gaze, now brimming with infinite killing intent, toward Eldrin Chen. "Human Race, you deserve death!"

"ROAR—!"

The humiliation of being wounded by a foe of a lower cultivation realm, the shock and fury following a brush with mortality—all coalesced into an endless tide of murderous intent and towering, infernal rage. Read the full novel exclusively on audio-novel . com.

The Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor roared, shaking heaven and earth, and actually opened its maw to spit out a Dragon Pearl [a crystallized orb of immense draconic power and essence] aimed directly at Eldrin Chen.

The Primordial Spirit [the highest spiritual core of a cultivator] demon dragon's Inner Core [the condensed source of a demonic beast's power] had transformed into the legendary Dragon Pearl. It contained a force akin to a black hole, utterly locking onto Eldrin Chen with the intent to annihilate him upon the earth.

From the moment that sword strike failed to cleave the flesh of the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor, Eldrin Chen's heart sank into a bottomless abyss.

"Brother Eldrin, the Abyss—!"

Facing this assault, Magnus the Virtuous, Maris the Sea Steader, and the other Half-Step Primordial Spirit [cultivators on the very threshold of the Primordial Spirit realm] experts from the Eastern Barrens Cultivation World all moved to lend their aid.

Yet the opponent's power was too overwhelming. A single great halberd swept across to intercept all foes, and the Divine Ability [a supreme supernatural power or technique] it unleashed blocked every path of assistance.

"Save him, quickly!"

Thalion Chen roared, spitting forth mouthful after mouthful of Lifebound Essence Blood [vital blood essence fused with one's life force, expended at great cost] to desperately activate the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation, placing it as a shield before the oncoming Dragon Pearl.

But the power of the Dragon Pearl was unstoppable. It effortlessly shattered the Ten Thousand Immortals Demon-Suppressing Grand Formation, grievously wounding all those presiding over the grand formation. In an instant, a million cultivators perished from the backlash.

Lyra Jiang, Yvonne the Violet Consort, and Lila were positioned close by. They poured forth their full strength in a desperate attempt to block the blow, but their Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a magical artifact bound to its user's life and soul] were sent flying before they could even make contact with the Dragon Pearl, each now riddled with cracks.

At the moment of life-and-death crisis, the Setting Sun Divine Aegis [a powerful defensive talisman] worn by Eldrin Chen was activated.

Instantly, a fiery-red protective dome, vast enough to blot out the sky, surged forth to intercept the oncoming Dragon Pearl [a condensed sphere of draconic power].

This Treasure Talisman [a single-use protective charm], obtained from the Long River Sacred Land, finally revealed its worth, locking in a stalemate against the Dragon Pearl unleashed by the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor.

"Finally."

Eldrin Chen let out a sigh of relief, the sense of imminent doom loosening its grip, if only slightly.

Yet, in that very instant, the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor roared with fury, "None can shield the one I have marked for death!"

"Perish!"

"BOOM—"

A deafening, primordial detonation echoed as radiant light erupted in dazzling splinters; the Setting Sun Divine Aegis was violently torn asunder, a jagged fissure ripping through its form.

Having breached this Sixth Rank [a realm of immense power] defensive Treasure Talisman, the Dragon Pearl continued its relentless assault, hurtling toward Eldrin Chen with undiminished fury.

"Eldrin, retreat now!"

At that life-or-death moment, a golden Treasure Ship [a large, enchanted vessel used for transport and warfare by cultivators] sailed forth.

With an expression of absolute resolve, Lior Chen steered the Treasure Ship carrying hundreds of thousands of troops, channeling all its power to position the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship [a powerful defensive treasure ship named for its rhinoceros-like resilience] as a shield before Eldrin Chen.

He was far too weak, merely a Mortal Dao True Lord [a title for a cultivator who has reached the Nascent Soul realm through the path of mortality] who had just Initial Entry [achieved a preliminary breakthrough] into the Nascent Soul [the stage where a cultivator's spiritual essence condenses into an infant soul form] realm. He lacked the power to directly aid Eldrin Chen; his only recourse was to use the formidable defensive might of the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship to intercept the blow.

"BOOM—"

Eldrin Chen watched helplessly as the Golden Rhino Treasure Ship shattered. A wave of searing flame and explosive force hurled him backward. Dive deeper into the Dao at http://www . audio-novel.com.

In that final instant, he saw countless forms—one after another—reduced to ashes within the conflagration.

"AHHH—!"

Eldrin Chen roared, a tempest of fury, frustration, and profound helplessness coalescing within him, only to be swallowed once more by a heavy, wordless silence.

His gaze remained locked on the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor, etching the visage of his foe indelibly into the depths of his memory.

"Still dreaming of revenge?"

The Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor coiled through the heavens and earth, yet the inexplicable look in Eldrin Chen's eyes sent a chill down its spine. It sneered coldly, "None can save you today! You will be slain here!"

Murderous intent from the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor filled the sky as it once more channeled its Dragon Pearl [a dragon's condensed life-force and power core, often used as a devastating weapon] and hurled it forward.

At this moment, the hearts of all present sank utterly. Their forces were nearly decimated. Who could possibly save him now?

"Alas!"

In that life-or-death instant, a sigh echoed down from the Firmament [the vault of heaven].

A treasure bracelet [a powerful enchanted artifact], vast enough to blot out the sky, descended. It ensnared the demon dragon's Dragon Pearl with unbreakable force. Despite its frantic struggles, the pearl could not break free.

Only then did the combatants notice the figure that had appeared upon the Firmament. A majestic, black-robed silhouette now stood within the battlefield, its arrival having gone entirely unnoticed.

"Longgu the Elder Demon!"

The Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor's expression shifted dramatically as it recognized the newcomer's identity.

Longgu the Daoist stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Jiayu Heavenly Demon and Blood God Ancient Ancestor, counted among the three Demonic Path Nascent Soul powerhouses within the Eastern Sea Cultivation World.

This demon was once a Human Race Dao Lord who shook the heavens and earth, a mighty figure who had already reached the Primordial Spirit, Mid Stage [the middle stage of the spiritual core cultivation] long ago. Yet, for reasons unknown, a single thought led him down the demonic path, transforming him overnight into a Demonic Path Patriarch [a supreme leader of the demonic cultivation path] of rare infamy.

His sudden intervention now, as Longgu the Elder Demon, took the Extraterrestrial Heavenly Demon [demons from realms beyond this world] completely by surprise.

The Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor's pupils narrowed with profound wariness. "You are one of us, a Demonic Cultivator [a practitioner of the demonic arts]. Why do you aid these Human Race whelps?" he could not help but demand.

"A Demonic Cultivator... fallen to demonhood..."

Longgu the Daoist shook his head with a bitter laugh. "Do you know," he began, "that I embraced this demonic power solely to gain the strength needed to protect the myriad lives of my Human Race?"

With those words, the truth behind his actions became clear to all present.

Longgu the Daoist let out a heavy sigh. "This old man never wished to reveal himself so soon," he continued, "but in the end, I could not stand idly by and watch one Nascent Soul Seed [a cultivator with the potential to form a Nascent Soul] after another fall in battle."

"Enough. If I can slay you here, young one, this journey will not have been in vain."

As his words faded, Longgu the Daoist flicked his sleeve, unleashing a bolt of dazzling heavenly thunder that shot straight toward the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor.

As Longgu the Daoist launched his attack, Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor could not help but change his expression drastically.

Even before his fall into demonic cultivation, Longgu the Daoist had already cultivated to the Nascent Soul Fourth Layer. After embracing the demonic path, his cultivation advanced by leaps and bounds, and he had now reached the realm of the Nascent Soul Sixth Layer. Furthermore, he possessed several powerful Demonic Treasure of formidable might.

He, the Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor, was merely at the first layer of Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator]. Even with the Rebellious World Halberd of the Demon Dragon of Sixth Rank mid-grade, he stood no chance against Longgu the Daoist.

With this realization, Nine Nether Demon Dragon Emperor immediately turned to flee, transforming in an instant into a streak of light that shot towards the distance.

"You cannot escape."

As Longgu the Daoist uttered these words, he raised his hand and summoned forth a blood-red demonic pouch, sending it flying after his foe.

This treasure was named the Blood Cloud Pouch [a sinister pouch forged from condensed blood clouds]. It was a vile artifact Longgu the Daoist had refined through the cruel blood sacrifice of millions of Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who cultivate using demonic energies]. Its sheer viciousness surpassed even that of the typical Demonic Path [the collective practices and factions of demonic cultivation]. Support the author by reading on audio-novel .c om.