Chapter 660 : A Gathering of True Lords

"Thank you for your trouble."

Eldrin Chen gave a slight nod, then led the group into the courtyard.

Within the courtyard at this moment, over three hundred Infant Soul True Lord [powerful cultivators at the Infant Soul stage] had gathered, each a figure of extraordinary status. Among them, those at the Infant Soul Late Stage [the peak of the Infant Soul realm] alone numbered more than twenty.

Many were familiar to Eldrin Chen, such as the Nine Rivers Path Master and the Heavenly Reed Sect Master, who were both present. Also in attendance were several Patriarch [venerable clan or sect leaders] who had reached the Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a quasi-realm just below the Primordial Spirit stage].

Seeing their arrival, the Heavenly Reed Sect Master smiled faintly and said, "Your timing is perfect. We were just discussing the matters of the great war."

"Our apologies for keeping you all waiting."

Eldrin Chen clasped his hands in greeting and stepped forward.

Among the many True Lord, the leaders were the Master of Featherflight Pavilion, the Sea-Calmer Path Master, and the Mysterious Void Path Master—all three at the Half-Step Primordial Spirit. Joining them was the Vast Righteousness True Lord, who possessed a Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure [a supreme-grade artifact of immense solar power].

Of these four, the Vast Righteousness True Lord and the Sea-Calmer Path Master held the highest esteem, for the power of a Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure far surpassed anything a Half-Step Primordial Spirit could muster.

The Vast Righteousness True Lord gave Eldrin Chen a nod, gesturing for him and his companions to stand behind him. Only then did he speak. "Now that everyone is assembled, I shall begin." Original English translation available at audio–novel.com.

"The battle at the Demonic Abyss Tribulation is no trivial matter. When the time comes, we cultivators of the Three Veins Ancient Domain must stand united to resist the Outer Realm Heavenly Demon."

As Vast Righteousness True Lord explained the situation, Eldrin Chen quickly grasped the overall strategy for the coming conflict.

The Demonic Abyss War was a conflict of immense scale. Typically, each ancient domain within the Eastern Barrens would be responsible for defending a specific section of the front line.

As one of the Six Great Ancient Domains, the Three Veins Ancient Domain bore a significant burden, facing considerable pressure.

Ordinarily, such matters would be organized by the local Immortal Alliance of the ancient domain. However, the Primordial Spirit Immortal Clan Ji Clan within the Three Veins Ancient Domain had only recently ascended to that status and did not plan to remain there long, thus they had not taken the lead in establishing an Immortal Alliance.

Therefore, for this war, they could only convene a council. They would meet to discuss strategy first, then select a few True Lord with greater prestige and power to take charge.

Within the current Three Veins Ancient Domain, only Vast Righteousness True Lord and Sea-Calmer Path Master were qualified to lead. Others, like the Master of Featherflight Pavilion and Mysterious Void Path Master, possessed formidable cultivation bases, but lacking a Primordial Solar Spiritual Treasure, they had to defer to the other two.

After listening, the Mysterious Void Path Master looked at Vast Righteousness True Lord and said, "In that case, for this battle, we shall follow the arrangements of Brother Sea-Calmer and Brother Vast Righteousness."

Sea-Calmer Path Master nodded slightly, then added with a faint smile, "The overall war effort will still follow the unified command of the Eastern Barrens Immortal Alliance. Our gathering here is merely to consolidate our strength, so we can support each other when the calamity strikes."

"Naturally."

One by one, the True Lords nodded. In the face of such a grand and devastating battlefield, even a Half-Step Primordial Spirit [a cultivator whose spirit is halfway to its primordial form] could meet their end. Only by supporting one another would they have a greater chance of survival.

Eldrin Chen listened quietly, his heart clear on one matter: when the true battle commenced, the only ones he could truly rely upon were his own clansmen, long-time friends like Path Master Unreal, and Violet Consort Yan.

In a moment of dire peril, those willing to risk severe injury, or even sacrifice their own lives to aid him, would likely be only his most cherished companions—beloved Dao companions and consorts like Exquisite Jiang and Lila.

As for others, when life and death hung in the balance, it was doubtful they would be willing to shoulder such immense risks and pay such a steep price for someone with whom they shared no deep bond.

After the group swore a three-part pact to support each other, the gathering concluded swiftly.

Not long after, an Infant Soul True Lord [a True Lord whose nascent soul has fully formed] from the Long River Holy Land arrived at the courtyard. With a warm smile, he clasped his hands and announced, "The assembly is about to begin. Please, follow me."

The group was led to a mist-wreathed Path-Field [a vast, leveled ground used for grand cultivator gatherings]. Already, over two thousand True Lords had gathered there. It could be said that sixty to seventy percent of all the True Lords from the Eastern Region Great Wasteland had converged upon this place.

Eldrin Chen scanned his surroundings. High above in the sky, three beings who seemed like incarnations of immortals and demons sat cross-legged upon the void, their gazes calm and inscrutable as they looked down upon the assembly.

Among these three, one was Long River Path Lord. His aura was that of an immortal sage, his visage resembling that of an ancient celestial being.

The second figure wore a gown woven from Stellar [pertaining to the essence of stars] silk. Her demeanor was as aloof and transcendent as a goddess, her features and form approaching flawless perfection. This was none other than Celestial Rotating Jade Immortal Maiden.

The last individual was a youth with sword-like brows and star-bright eyes. His posture was tall and slender, his aura completely withdrawn within his body. At a casual glance, one might mistake him for a mere mortal.

Eldrin Chen had not met this person before, but he largely knew of his origins. He knew this person was the Clan Patriarch of the Lin Clan, the Premier Immortal Clan of the Eastern Barrens, Heaven Abandoned Lin.

After all, Heaven Abandoned Lin's might shook the Eight Desolations. He was the foremost true cultivator of the Sword Path within the Purple Seal Realm, and his strength was sufficient to rank among the top five within the entire Purple Seal Realm Human Race.

Though there were merely three of them present, they shone as brilliantly as three Sun and Moon, their radiance eclipsing the light of the more than two thousand True Lord cultivators gathered.

"One day, I too shall stand among your ranks,"

Eldrin Chen murmured inwardly. He exchanged a glance with Exquisite Jiang, and in that moment, he saw the same determined light reflected in her eyes. For more chapters, visit AUDIO-NOVEL.COM for the complete novel.

Sharing a faint, understanding smile, Eldrin Chen offered no words. He simply lowered his gaze once more, awaiting the commencement of the grand assembly.

An indeterminate amount of time passed before all participants of the conference had finally arrived.

The Heaven Abandoned Path Lord seated upon the Nine Heavens Above opened his eyes and began to speak, his voice measured and deliberate. "The Zhang Clan of Heavenly Desert Continent, the Wu Clan of River's Edge Continent, the clan of Three Stars Continent…"

Heaven Abandoned Lin proceeded to list seven names in total before stating, "These seven Immortal Clan shirked their duty, fleeing from the battle of the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm and refusing to bear their rightful responsibility."

"After you return, you can annex them to strengthen your foundations [the collective resources and power base of a clan or sect]."

Upon hearing this, the hearts of the assembly trembled, and many among them could not suppress expressions of wild joy.

Since Heaven Abandoned Lin had spoken, the survival of those seven Immortal Clan was impossible. Those Immortal Clan located nearby could likely approach to claim a share of the spoils.

To the varied expressions of the crowd, Heaven Abandoned Lin paid no heed, as if he had not seen them.

He merely cast a calm glance over the assembly, then extended his hand, scattering a sky full of starlight that flew before each person.

As the starlight settled before them, it transformed into individual contracts, materializing in the air.

Eldrin Chen picked his up and examined it. He found the contract was meticulously crafted and exceedingly strict. Once signed, it required swearing a Oath of Reincarnation [a mystical vow that binds one's soul across lifetimes, ensuring compliance], obligating adherence to any relevant summons from the Eastern Sea Immortal Alliance.

However, the contract clearly stipulated provisions for casualties and compensation, as well as rewards for military merit. Furthermore, even the several Primordial Spirit Path Lord [cultivators who have reached the Primordial Spirit realm and mastered a profound cultivation Path] would swear the same Oath of Reincarnation, so there was no need to fear being deceived or sacrificed.

"The Demonic Abyss Cataclysm [a prophesied calamity of demonic invasion from a deep abyss] is no trivial matter. To concentrate the strength of the Eastern Barrens against this cataclysm, you must all sign this contract,"

Long River Path Lord spoke after everyone had finished reading the contract.

To this, no one had any objections. Thus, within the Long River Holy Land, they all together swore the Oath of Reincarnation [a binding vow that extends its consequences across multiple lifetimes] and signed the Long River Covenant [a magically binding contract established by the Long River Holy Land].

Seeing that they had sworn their oaths, the three True Lord [a powerful cultivator who has mastered a fundamental law of the world] took their leave.

Since the covenant had been signed, the next steps merely involved submitting the required resources and the roster of combatants, then returning to prepare for war. There was no longer any need for the three Path Lord [a supreme cultivator who has opened their own unique cultivation path] to personally oversee the proceedings.

Eldrin Chen sought out Cosmos Heaven's Punishment and presented the list of combatants from the Chen Clan.

After reviewing the list, Cosmos Heaven's Punishment looked at him with some surprise and could not help but remark, "Out of seven True Lord, six are participating. Isn't that a bit too risky?" Official source: audio novel.com. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.