Chapter 703 : Clash of Swords and Pagoda

"You?"

Jareth Fang was momentarily taken aback and could not help but glance at Eldrin Chen.

However, upon realizing it was Ethan Chen who had challenged myself, a cold sneer spread across his face. "I thought it was the Abyssal Daoist [a title for Eldrin Chen, meaning 'Daoist of the Abyss'] who wished to spar with me. You are but a nameless nobody, unworthy of crossing blades with this Young Master?"

"Oh?"

Ethan Chen's gaze turned icy in an instant. Seeing no point in further words with this man, two streams of Sword Qi [condensed energy shaped like a sword, a manifestation of a swordsman's will and power] erupted from behind him, crisscrossing through the air. The Flame of Extinction Sword and the Ren Water Rebirth Sword shot forth simultaneously, cleaving towards Jareth Fang.

Sensing the lethal sharpness of the Twin Swords of Life and Death, Jareth Fang's expression instantly grew solemn. A hexagonal pagoda materialized between his brows.

"It's the Six Mysteries Pagoda!"

Several True Lord [a high-level title for cultivators who have reached the Golden Core realm or beyond] present could not hold back their exclamations, their faces registering shock. This Six Mysteries Pagoda was actually a top-grade Defensive Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact specifically designed for protection].

With such a top-grade Defensive Spiritual Treasure in hand, even though the Twin Swords of Life and Death wielded by Ethan Chen possessed formidable power, breaching its defenses in a short time would be exceedingly difficult.

Seeing that Ethan Chen could not gain an advantage over myself, Jareth Fang unleashed his own Magical Treasure [an enchanted artifact used by cultivators] to engage in combat while letting out a wild laugh. "A mere nobody dares to strike at this Young Master? What other tricks do you have? Bring them forth!" For more chapters, visit audio-novel[dot]com for the complete novel.

Faced with this scene, Ethan Chen remained silent, merely urging his Twin Swords of Life and Death to launch a relentless assault.

They clashed for another thirty-some exchanges. Ethan Chen continuously summoned his Lifebound Immortal Sword to attack. Though he could not gain the upper hand, his efforts caused a flicker of anxiety to surface on Jareth Fang's face.

He was but a newly advanced Earthly Dao Nascent Soul. Neither his Mana [the spiritual energy used to power techniques and treasures] nor his Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a cultivator's personally refined and soul-bound magical artifact] were particularly outstanding. In terms of combat experience, he was simply no match for Ethan Chen.

Though he currently relied on the Six Mysteries Pagoda to remain undefeated, this pagoda was a superior-grade Spiritual Treasure [a powerful enchanted artifact], and its consumption of Mana was immense.

Though Ethan Chen could not breach its defenses, his twin Lifebound Swords consumed only thirty percent of the Mana required by a Spiritual Treasure of the same rank. Relying on the Twin Swords of Life and Death to deliver blow after blow, he swiftly drained more than half of Jareth Fang's Mana reserves.

Seeing that his Mana could not possibly sustain such a prolonged battle, Jareth Fang finally revealed a look of panic.

His expression hardened with resolve. With a swift motion, he produced a dazzlingly brilliant Spirit Talisman [a single-use magical scroll imbued with a powerful technique] and unleashed it directly at Ethan Chen.

"Heaven-Slaying Divine Sword Talisman!"

Maris the Sea Steader's eyes flickered slightly in recognition of this Sword Talisman's origin.

He gave a slight nod towards Eldrin Chen and remarked calmly, "The Profound Heaven God-Slaying Sword is the Lifebound Spiritual Treasure of Orin Fang. It seems Orin dotes on this son of his exceedingly."

Hearing this, Eldrin Chen understood the situation.

Using a Lifebound Immortal Sword to craft a Sword Talisman would drain the sword's potency [its inherent power and sharpness]; most cultivators would be loath to do so.

Thinking this, he remarked calmly, "A doting mother spoils the child. This Jareth Fang has likely been utterly spoiled."

In the blink of an Eldrin's eye, the fierce battle reached its zenith. As the Heaven-Slaying Divine Sword Talisman cleaved straight towards him, Ethan Chen let out a cold laugh, transforming into a streak of brilliant sword-light and darting away.

"It's the Ethereal Void Sword Evasion [a supreme movement technique that allows the user to briefly merge with the void to evade attacks]!"

Eldrin Chen smiled. Ethan Chen's combat experience was exceptionally rich; at the critical moment, he had actually used an Escape Art Divine Ability [a specialized technique for rapid evasion or retreat] to dodge Jareth Fang's trump card.

"Damn it!"

Seeing that even his signature move failed to subdue Ethan Chen, a trace of ferocity twisted Jareth Fang's features.

By this point in the protracted battle, Jareth Fang's Mana [the refined spiritual energy used to power techniques and treasures] was nearly eighty percent depleted. In stark contrast, Ethan Chen had relied solely on his Lifebound Spiritual Treasure [a treasure bonded to one's life force and soul] and Divine Ability [a powerful innate or cultivated supernatural technique] to fight, consuming only ten to twenty percent of his own Mana.

This near-farcical disparity drove Jareth Fang to the brink of madness. Casting caution aside, he swallowed a One Restoration Pill [a pill that rapidly restores a significant portion of one's spiritual energy] in one gulp and produced a small mountain that radiated a powerful magnetic force.

Witnessing the small peak swell with the wind, unleashing boundless power of the Western Pole's Magnetic Essence, it instantly seized Ethan Chen's Flame of Extinction Sword and Ren Water Rebirth Sword, drawing them towards itself.

"The Western Pole Magnetic Essence Peak [a supreme treasure forged from the primal magnetic essence of the Western Pole]!"

Among the gathered crowd, many True Lords revealed looks of astonishment, their gazes instantly flashing with a sliver of chilling intent.

The Western Pole Magnetic Essence Peak was the Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure of the Nie Immortal Clan from the Wine Spring Domain. During the Demonic Abyss Cataclysm, the clan's final Clan Lord, with cultivation at the Nascent Soul, Early Stage realm, intervened in a battle between Half-Step Primordial Spirit powerhouses and tragically fell in that great calamity.

Afterwards, the Eastern Desolation Immortal Alliance issued a heavy reward for the return of the Western Pole Magnetic Essence Peak to the Nie Immortal Clan. Yet, in the mere span of a hundred years, this Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure of the Nie Immortal Clan had somehow fallen into the hands of Jareth Fang.

*Clang—!* Support the author by reading on audio novel.com.

In that very instant, as his Lifebound Immortal Sword was seized, Ethan Chen remained unflustered. He calmly summoned forth the Thousand-Demon Slaying Sword and the Hundred Spirit Immortal-Slaying Sword.

In a flash, propelled by Ethan Chen's Heavenly Dao Nascent Soul and the Mana of his Sword Dao, the two Immortal Swords merged their power. With an arrogance that defied heaven and earth, their combined edge swept towards Jareth Fang.

The Six Mysteries Pagoda could no longer withstand the assault; it was cleaved away and sent flying.

The Immortal-Demon Twin Swords [twin swords embodying the opposing forces of immortality and demonic power] continued their forward slash, poised to deliver a fatal blow to Jareth Fang.

At that critical moment, three Fire Luan Demon Emperor surged forward, joining forces to block his Immortal Sword.

Only then did Jareth Fang reveal a flicker of panic. He stared at Ethan Chen with profound dread and said, "I am of the bloodline of a Nascent Soul Immortal Clan [a powerful clan whose ancestors have reached the Nascent Soul realm]. How dare you seek my death!"

"You are doomed. No one can save you now."

Jareth Fang glared fixedly at Ethan Chen, his eyes brimming with savage intent.

With a sweep of his hand, he commanded the three Fire Luan Demon Emperor, "Seize him for me!"

The three Demon Emperor [powerful demon rulers] wore expressions of alarm and seemed about to offer further counsel when Eldrin Chen stepped forward.

His long sleeve swept out, repelling Jareth Fang with a shockwave. He then took hold of the Western Pole Magnetic Essence Peak [a mystical mountain peak artifact imbued with potent magnetic essence]. After examining it carefully for a moment, he turned his gaze to Jareth Fang and asked, "Where did you obtain this?"

"This thing?" Jareth Fang was momentarily taken aback, then sneered coldly. "I acquired it during this Barter Convention [a grand gathering for the exchange of rare cultivation resources], after exterminating a Demonic Cultivator Forbidden Land [a territory forbidden to ordinary cultivators, ruled by demonic practitioners]."

"What of it? Does the illustrious Eldrin, the Abyssal True Lord now wish to seize my treasure as well?"

Clutching the Western Pole Magnetic Essence Peak, Eldrin Chen fixed a cold, merciless stare on Jareth Fang. "Do you even know," he said, his voice icy, "that this is the Clan-Suppressing Supreme Treasure [a supreme artifact used to protect and symbolize the authority of a great clan] of the Nie Clan?"

Upon hearing this, Jareth Fang felt a chill in his heart, fearing the matter would be exposed. He could only grit his teeth and stubbornly insist, "This young master knows nothing of the Nie Clan [a prominent cultivation family]. This object was something I obtained by chance."

"No! This was absolutely not something he obtained by slaying a denizen of the Demonic Cultivator Forbidden Land [a perilous region infested with demonic practitioners]!"

At that very moment, a young maiden, her face streaked with tears, approached from a distance.

Her attire was simple and plain, and she wore the coarse hemp garments of mourning. As she ran forward, her eyes were bloodshot with grief and fury.

Seeing her, Jareth Fang panicked. He even attempted to summon a Spiritual Treasure [an enchanted artifact] to slay the girl on the spot. However, a True Lord [a cultivator of the Golden Core realm] present immediately intervened, blocking his action.

Only then did the young woman reach them. Sobbing, she knelt and kowtowed before the assembly. "Esteemed True Lords, honored Seniors," she choked out, "this humble junior is Linnea Nie, daughter of the Nie Immortal Clan [the Nie family of cultivators] from Wine Spring."

"During the recent great calamity, the Clan Lord [Patriarch] of my Fang Immortal Clan [the Fang family of cultivators] fell in battle. Thanks to the care of the Ancient Ancestors [venerated senior cultivators] of the Immortal Alliance [a coalition of righteous sects and clans], substantial Spiritual Objects [items imbued with spiritual energy] were granted as compensation. There was still hope for our clan to recover its strength."

"Yet, not long ago, this Jareth Fang, coveting the treasures of my Nie Clan, actually slaughtered my entire Nie Immortal Clan to the last member!" The complete novel can be found at @udio-novel.com.