Chapter 692 : A Sudden Curse at Sea

"Very well."

The two of them immediately flew out beyond the Heavenly Demon Sea Region, continuing for over ten days until they finally left the Heavenly Demon Sea Region behind.

On this day, just as Eldrin Chen had departed the Heavenly Demon Sea Region, he suddenly noticed the jade pendant gifted by Dorian Ji erupting with a brilliant radiance that enveloped him.

In the next instant, he sensed a wave of intensely malevolent blood-flame, coalescing into a crimson serpent of gore, streaking directly towards the crown of his head.

"A curse! It's a Demonic Curse Art [a sinister magical technique that inflicts harm from a distance]!"

By pure reflex, the Star-Gazing Tower [a mystical artifact for celestial observation and protection] within Eldrin Chen's body flared to life. Beams of resplendent light from the Heavenly Secrets Spiritual Treasure [a treasure imbued with the power of celestial mysteries] instantly shielded his Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core of a cultivator].

Simultaneously, his physical form was sheathed in a layer of dazzling starlight as the Celestial Mechanism Bodyguard Divine Ability [a defensive technique that mimics celestial mechanisms] and his Stellar Glazed Body [a special constitution akin to glazed celestial glass] were activated in that very moment.

"BOOM—"

Guarded by layers of Heavenly Secrets [a profound cultivation art] Divine Ability [supernatural power] and Spiritual Treasure [enchanted artifact], the scarlet blood-serpent was ultimately outmatched, dissipating into a wisp of smoke.

"Are you unharmed?" Your portal to cultivation novels: audio~novel.com.

Seeing Eldrin Chen's face turn pale, Lyra Jiang asked with deep concern etched upon her features.

"I am fine."

Eldrin Chen shook his head, yet a shadow of lingering fear colored his expression. The peril he had just faced was truly immense.

That Blood Serpent [a demonic serpent formed from cursed blood and malice] had been utterly terrifying, possessing the power to devour one's Primordial Spirit [the spiritual core and consciousness of a cultivator]. It was a threat that could snatch the life of even a Half-Step Primordial Spirit powerhouse. Had he not been shielded by his various Spiritual Treasure and Divine Ability [supernatural powers cultivated to a divine level], he likely would not have escaped unscathed.

With this thought, Eldrin Chen could not help but say, "To unleash such a vicious Curse Art [a malevolent spell that inflicts harm from a distance] without possessing my Birth Date and Time [a person's exact time of birth, used in fate-based divination and curses] or essence blood... it is most likely the work of that Garuda Heavenly Demon."

"What? Useless! How could it have failed?"

At the same moment, deep within the Demonic Abyss, a figure clad in black armor spoke, his face a mask of furious disbelief.

This was none other than the infamous Garuda Heavenly Demon. His cultivation had reached the Primordial Spirit, Late Stage, making him an exceedingly powerful figure even among the Nascent Soul Celestial Demon.

Before the Garuda Heavenly Demon stood the Blood-Robed Elder. The elder held a dead, crimson serpent in his hand, his own expression grim.

His face was cold, his gaze severe as he spoke, "My Blood Serpent Soul-Snatching Curse requires the sacrifice of an exceedingly precious Sixth Rank Soul-Devouring Blood Serpent to perform."

"If one were to obtain Lifebound Essence Blood [the vital blood essence intrinsically linked to a being's life force] and the Birth Date and Time [the exact celestial hour and moment of one's birth, used in profound fate-based arts], even a Nascent Soul Great Power [a supreme expert at the Nascent Soul realm] could be severely wounded or even cursed to death. For this man, merely at the Nascent Soul, Mid Stage [the middle stage of the Nascent Soul cultivation realm], to preserve his life, he must undoubtedly possess a precious life-preserving treasure of great value."

"Hmph." The Garuda Heavenly Demon [a powerful demonic entity of the Garuda lineage]'s expression turned icy, his features grim as he spoke, "Do you have any other means to curse this man to his end?"

"My power is spent." Blood-Robed Elder shook his head, pondered for a long moment, and then said, "Without the Birth Date and Time and his essence blood, ordinary Demonic Curse Art [a sinister art of demonic malediction] will likely prove insufficient to slay him through curse."

"If you truly wish him dead, perhaps you should seek out Nightmare Heaven-Demon [a terrifying demonic entity that rules over the realm of dreams and nightmares]."

"Nightmare..."

The Garuda Heavenly Demon's expression shifted slightly, a trace of wariness evident towards the mentioned Nightmare Heaven-Demon.

After a long silence, his face hardened with resolve. "So be it. If it ensures that whelp's demise, paying a certain price is warranted."

Meanwhile, having withstood the Blood Serpent Soul-Snatching Curse [a vile curse that manifests as a blood serpent to steal the victim's soul], Eldrin Chen finally allowed himself a deep, relieved sigh.

A faint smile touched his lips as he turned to Lyra Jiang. "Our foe lacks not only my Birth Date and Time but also our Lifebound Essence Blood. To unleash a curse of such magnitude, they must have paid a price severe enough to cripple even a Nascent Soul Celestial Demon [a Celestial Demon at the Nascent Soul realm]."

"Since they failed to kill me this time, we should be safe from such threats hereafter."

Lyra Jiang [the female cultivator] also let out a sigh of relief, yet still voiced her concern, "We must remain cautious. From now on, you must not let the Star-Gazing Tower [a defensive magical artifact] leave your side easily."

"Understood."

Eldrin Chen [the clan patriarch] gave a firm nod and then continued towards the location of the Treasure Ship [a large flying vessel].

Not long after, they rendezvoused with the Treasure Ship Fleet [the convoy of treasure ships] and began the flight back towards the Eastern Wastelands [a vast, desolate region].

Time flowed like a river, and several years passed in the blink of an eye. Eldrin Chen led the great army back to the Ji Continent [a major continent in this world], finally allowing himself to release a deep, heartfelt sigh of relief.

Aboard the Treasure Ship, the members of the Chen Clan [the Chen family], Yvonne the Violet Consort [a powerful female cultivator], Qingci the Recluse [a reclusive cultivator], and all the others finally wore rare, genuine smiles. Enjoyed this chapter? Read more at audio-novel .c om.

The scene at the Azure Lotus Continent [a continent named for its azure lotus flowers] was one of controlled chaos. Thousands upon thousands of cultivators disembarked in a steady stream, met by a vast crowd of welcomers. Each person searched frantically through the throng for their own kin.

Upon that grand plaza, emotions ran raw and unchecked. Some wept bitter tears of grief, others laughed with wild, unrestrained joy, and still more stood in silent, choked-up sorrow.

More than two decades had passed since their departure. For the high-ranking cultivators at the Purple Mansion [a mid-level cultivation realm] and above, this span was but a fleeting moment. Yet for the low-ranking survivors who had cheated death, it was an eternity—enough for the world to change beyond recognition and familiar faces to vanish.

In that intervening time, some had fallen in battle, others had peacefully ended their cultivation journey, and the fortunes of certain families had declined into utter ruin.

Many also established illustrious military merits, obtaining Foundation Establishment Pill [a pill that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm] and successfully advancing to the Foundation Establishment [the second major stage of cultivation, where one solidifies their spiritual foundation] realm. Some even broke through to the Purple Mansion [the third major stage, where one opens a spiritual sea within their dantian] and even the Golden Core Realm [the fourth major stage, where one condenses their spiritual essence into a golden core], their radiance and glory truly boundless for a time.

This was no empty boast. In this war, the Chen Clan alone distributed over twenty thousand Foundation Establishment Pill [a pill that aids in breaking through to the Foundation Establishment realm] as rewards for military achievements.

Aboard the Treasure Ship [a large, enchanted vessel used for transport and warfare by cultivators], Eldrin Chen gazed at the reunited assembly, a complex mix of emotions flickering across his countenance.

His eyes swept over the gathering, noting that Silas Chen had been waiting for some time. He inquired, "In recent years, have any significant events occurred in the Ji Continent or the The Vast Sea?"

Silas Chen's expression turned pensive. After a moment's hesitation, he lowered his voice and said, "The Daoist Assembly Ground [a gathering place or territory of a cultivator clan or sect] of the Xu Clan... has been annihilated."

"This..."

Eldrin Chen's face shifted slightly, the gravity of the situation in the Eastern Wastelands over the past years finally dawning on him.

Within the Eastern Wastelands, before each eruption of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a periodic, cataclysmic surge of demonic energy and invasion], many Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use demonic, blood-based, or otherwise malevolent methods to advance their power] would secretly go into hiding. They would wait for the cataclysm to erupt before striking, conducting massive blood sacrifices of the Human Race to break through their cultivation bottlenecks.

Aside from the Nascent Soul Immortal Clan [powerful clans led by cultivators at the Nascent Soul realm, the fifth major stage], which received patrols and protection from the Eastern Desolation Immortal Alliance, the lower-tier Immortal Clan [families or lineages of cultivators] found it difficult to secure any guarantee of safety.

In the mere twenty-odd years since their departure, numerous Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use demonic, blood-based, or otherwise malevolent methods to advance their power] had emerged once more across the Ji Continent. From Golden Core Immortal Clan down to Qi Refinement Immortal Clan [the most basic clans, whose members are at the Qi Refinement stage, the first stage of cultivation], countless Immortal Clan had been utterly destroyed, swallowed by the calamity.

Silas Chen spoke with a pained expression, and after a long while, he finally said, "Over these past twenty-some years, out of the more than fifty Golden Core Immortal Clan [powerful cultivation families with Golden Core cultivators] within the Ji Continent, thirteen have been utterly destroyed. As for the Immortal Clan [cultivation families] below the Foundation Establishment [the second major cultivation stage] realm, a staggering four or five out of every ten have met their end."

"Those Demonic Cultivator [cultivators who use evil, soul-devouring methods] specifically target the lower-tier Immortal Clan. There are even Golden Core [the third major cultivation stage] demonic fiends who, casting aside all face, perform blood sacrifices on Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement Immortal Clan [the most basic cultivation families]. One Golden Core fiend even single-handedly sacrificed over a hundred Foundation Establishment Purple Mansion Immortal Clan [families with cultivators at the Foundation Establishment and Purple Mansion stages]."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of Eldrin Chen and Lyra Jiang grew even colder, like frozen steel.

And this was the situation *after* they had acted preemptively, having already eradicated all the Demonic Cultivator Forbidden Land [dangerous territories ruled by demonic cultivators] near the Ji Continent and The Vast Sea.

If places like the Demonic Miasma Ridge and the Demon Cave Cavern had not been purged, likely the entire Ji Continent, and even The Vast Sea, would have been left with nine houses empty out of every ten.

It was only at this moment that Eldrin Chen truly understood why the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [the great calamity caused by the eruption of demonic energy from the abyss] was called a cataclysm.

This calamity was a tribulation for all the Cultivators of the World [the collective community of those who walk the path of cultivation]. With each eruption of the cataclysm, occurring roughly every Millennium [a period of one thousand years], the Qi Refinement Immortal Clan were almost always completely wiped out.

This was precisely why one almost never encountered Qi Refinement [the first major cultivation stage] or Foundation Establishment Immortal Clan that had been passed down for a Millennium—they simply could not survive the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm.

Only Immortal Clan at the Purple Mansion [the fourth major cultivation stage] level or above possessed a sliver of a chance to weather such a terrifying tribulation, thereby passing down their legacy for a Millennium and seizing a fleeting opportunity to ascend into a higher-tier Immortal Clan.

Contemplating the immense horror behind these events, Eldrin Chen asked, "What is the current situation?"

Silas Chen shook his head and said, "During this Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, five Demonic Cultivator [practitioners who use dark, often sacrificial, arts to gain power] from the Ji Continent have successively ascended to the Nascent Soul Realm [a high stage of cultivation where one forms an immortal spiritual infant] through blood sacrifices."

"Another four have emerged from the region of The Vast Sea. They now occupy the former Demonic Miasma Ridge and the Demon Cave Cavern, among other places. It appears they intend to use these Demonic Cultivator Forbidden Land [lands tainted by demonic energy, shunned by orthodox cultivators] as their strongholds to lord over the region." This novel is serialized on https://audio-novel.com. Visit for updates.